Editorial: An arrogant bureaucracy

We hear a lot these days about widespread distrust in our public institutions. Perhaps the government’s behavior in the high-profile case involving Bunkerville rancher Cliven Bundy offers some insight regarding such skepticism.

On Friday, the Bureau of Land Management released about 400 pages of emails and other documents related to the 2014 Bundy standoff. The agency took this step in response to a Review-Journal Freedom of Information Act request — a request lodged two years ago.

But not only did BLM officials deliberately dither and dilly-dally on the request, when they finally deigned to “comply” with the law, they blacked out and censored the documents so heavily as to render useless a great bit of the information.

“Better late than never doesn’t cut it when it comes to the release of public records,” R-J Editor Keith Moyer said. “But it’s especially intolerable when the government takes years to provide documents that can’t be read because they’re so heavily redacted.”

Meanwhile, government lawyers in the case have successfully convinced a federal magistrate judge to prevent defense attorneys in the Bundy matter from making public various documents related to the prosecution. The version of justice federal prosecutors seek apparently requires a black marker and a “top secret” stamp.

It’s difficult for the public to discern whether its representatives are acting responsibly when the government goes to such great lengths to avoid scrutiny. Accountability and justice follow transparency. An insular bureaucratic culture that encourages federal officials to deadbolt the doors and shutter the windows in response to legitimate inquiries should concern observers of all political persuasions.

The BLM’s hubris reflects poorly on its leadership and reveals a dangerous contempt for those it serves. Exactly what do BLM officials have to hide that they would flip a middle finger to taxpayers and choose foot dragging and secrecy over openness when it comes to public records?

Cliven Bundy and his followers face a day of reckoning for their behavior. Fine. But what price will federal officials pay for their unbridled arrogance and their refusal to observe the law?