The US Department of Energy (DoE) and the University of California (UC) announced the resignation of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) director John Browne as a result of a number of alleged scandals at the lab.
UC, which operates the lab as a contractor to the DoE, also announced a set of broader management changes, but it was unclear if they would be sufficient to address concerns about issues that have prompted investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the DoE Inspector General, and Congress. The issues include a “misuse of procurement cards, theft through purchase orders, and property accountability.” Because the situation had “called into question” UC’s ability to run the lab, DoE secretary Spencer Abraham said he was reevaluating the university’s contract with the DoE. The five-year contract was signed a year ago.
