Leaked document warns of ‘serious errors’ in census data under fast-tracked timeline
An internal Census Bureau document sent to members of Congress and obtained by NBC News warned that the new truncated deadline set by the agency’s director last month has the potential to undermine the integrity of the count and lead to “serious errors.”
The document was sent to the House Oversight Committee, which has been probing the Census for several years since its failed attempt to add a citizenship question to the decennial.
The document appears to be a presentation for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who oversees the agency, dated Aug. 3, 2020 and marked “Not for Public Distribution.” No author is listed on the document and it is not clear what section of the bureau it came from. Oversight Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., wrote in a letter to congressional leaders on Wednesday that she obtained the document from a “source,” rather than from one of the agency’s leaders.
Census Director Steve Dillingham said last month that the agency would end all of its counting efforts on Sept. 30, a month sooner than previously expected. Some areas, including San Diego, will see in-person operations end even sooner. The internal document warns that the “highly compressed” timeline, as well as limits to activities such as door-knocking and data review, will lead to less accurate results. [Continue reading…]