Census board claims Commerce is blocking important data

Gilbert Casellas, Democratic co-chairman of the Census Monitoring Board, sent a letter last week to Commerce Secretary Donald Evans expressing his "shock" at the department's demand that he sign a memorandum of understanding that Casellas claims would limit his board's ability to complete its work.

The department, which has blocked release of sampling data because its accuracy has not yet be verified, has asked the board and the House Government Reform Census Subcommittee to agree to keep census data private as a condition for its release, using the data "only for evaluation and research purposes."

Casellas wrote that the board has made six unfilled requests since February and needs the information to fulfill its oversight mission, saying the delay "appears capricious, political in nature and blocks the board from fulfilling its statutory mandate."

The Commerce Department did not respond to calls for comment.