Federal officials often use flawed or falsified data to support decisions to expand the endangered species list, according to a recently published congressional working group report.

“Many reports and studies used to justify ESA decisions have been found to have mathematical errors, missing data, errors of omission, biased sampling, undocumented methods, simulated data in place of more accurate empirical data, discrepancies between reported results and data, inaccurate mapping, selective use of data, subjective interpretation of results, fabricated data substituted for missing data, and even no data at all,” the Washington Examiner reported in a Feb. 3 news story.