The Bush White House persistently manipulates scientific data to advance its ideology and the interests of its political supporters. That was the conclusion of a forty-page report issued earlier this month by the House Committee on Government Reform. It accused the Administration of compromising the scientific integrity of federal institutions that monitor food and medicine, conduct medical research, control disease and health risks and protect the environment.

Now, we learn–thanks to a report released last week by the EPA’s Inspector General–that the White House also instructed agency officials to reassure New Yorkers after September 11th that the air in the vicinity of the World Trade Center was safe to breathe, even though deadly contaminants were present, and the quality of the air, was, at best, unclear. (See Matt Bivens’ Daily Outrage for more.)

Dr. Stephen Levin, director of the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program at Mount Sinai Medical Center, called the report “shocking,” in an interview in New York Newsday. “It’s an outrageous interference in the role of the public health agencies that were established to protect the people,” Levin said of the Bush Administration‘s alleged influence over the EPA.

What were the “competing considerations” that pushed Bush officials to mislead New York City residents? One important factor, according to the report, was “the desire to reopen Wall Street.” So, we have an administration that misleads its citizens, at the expense of their health, in order to benefit Wall Street?

Sadly, that’s not too surprising. Every day brings fresh revelations of how this Administration‘s deceit threatens its citizens’ health and welfare. New York Senator Hillary Clinton has called on the Justice Department to look into the EPA report. Rep. Jerry Nadler is demanding a formal Congressional investigation. But, what’s really needed is an independent investigation into the Bush Administration’s unprecedented manipulation of the scientific process.