Census Bureau participation in Democratic event upheld

Congressional investigators have cleared the Census Bureau of violating any federal guidelines by participating in an event tied to the Democratic National Convention, the Associated Press reported.

Because the role of Census officials appeared to have been "informational in nature" and did not amount to "publicity or propaganda, the bureau's participation in the symposium did not violate appropriations act restrictions," the GAO report said.

House Government Reform Census Subcommittee Chairman Dan Miller, R-Fla., requested the investigation after the AP reported the agency's participation at the Aug. 12 event in Los Angeles just prior to the Democratic convention.

Miller said the GAO report did highlight concerns about "lax controls" over outreach efforts, and that the appearance of the politicization of the Census Bureau could have been avoided.

House Government Reform Census Subcommittee ranking member Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., called the report a "vindication of the Census [Bureau] professionals," and asked that the Republicans apologize to the bureau.