Interior Official Who Suppressed Science Plays MMORPGs

Julie MacDonald, the Bush appointee who hijacked science at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and whose behavior was the subject of an Interior Department inspector general's investigation released last week is also, it seems, a fan of MMORPGs.

The evidence, first noted by the gristmill blog, shows up on page 21 of the inspector general's report:

"MacDonald confirmed that she also sent the Delta Smelt document to an on-line game friend through his father's e-mail account. MacDonald said she is acquainted with the on-line friend through internet role-playing games. She said she engages in these games to relieve the stress created by her job; however, she said she has not played while at work."

Can this be? MacDonald handed out internal DOI documents to several of her chums -- some at ChevronTexaco, others with groups that work to eliminate the Endangered Species Act and still others who may or may not take the form of blood elves in a horde raiding party. We can't confirm that MacDonald, who battled tirelessly -- one might say obsessively -- to smash and destroy weaker lifeforms during her tenure at the Interior Department, is a WoW player, but all the signs of a manic power-hungry guild leader are present. To wit:

• MacDonald "bullied, insulted, and harassed the professional staff" at FWS.
• "MacDonald regularly bypassed managers to speak directly with field staff, often intimidating and bullying them into producing documents that had the desired effect she and the former Assistant Secretary wanted."
• FWS employees described MacDonald as "an angry woman", "abusive," "a pain in the butt," "always in your face," "demeaning," someone who "would curse and yell," "quite hostile," "disrespectful, rude, and unprofessional," a "brazen" meddler, an "attack dog."

Hmm. Where's Leeroy Jenkins when you need him?