Rep. Towns Holding Brooklyn Hearing to Ensure Accuracy in the 2010 Census

Today, Rep. Ed Towns (NY-10), as Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will hold a hearing in the courtroom at Brooklyn Borough Hall at 10:00 a.m. to examine a recent incident involving two senior managers at the Brooklyn Local North East Census Office who were fired for fraudulently completing Census surveys.  

 The hearing, that will feature testimony from the Census Director The New York Regional Census Director and the Commerce Department Inspector General, will also examine the steps the Census Bureau is taking to ensure the accuracy of the 2010 Census.

Chairman Towns’ committee is the main congressional committee charged with oversight of the Census, and he has been committed to ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the 2010 Census, as well as ensuring the Census Bureau does everything possible to reach out to hard-to-count populations.  Last month, upon hearing disturbing constituent reports of how then-employees at the Brooklyn office used unauthorized data to complete thousands of Census questionnaires, Rep. Towns opened an investigation into the allegations.

The witnesses invited to testify are:

Dr. Robert M. Groves
Director
U.S. Census Bureau

Mr. Todd J. Zinser
Inspector General
U.S. Department of Commerce

Mr. Lester A. Farthing
Regional Director
U.S. Census Bureau
NY Regional Census Center