The Interior Department's inspector general says the changes resulted "in the implication that the moratorium recommendation had been peer reviewed." But it hadn't been.
Still, the report said the administration did not violate federal rules because it had offered a formal apology and already publicly clarified the nature of the expert review.
The Web site Politico was first to report the inspector general's findings. The Associated Press on Wednesday obtained a copy of the report, which has not been publicly released.
