who said they weren't "drilling"?? On Sep 10, 3:15 pm, PoliticalAmazon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > New oil-industry and Bush Jr administration SCANDALS! First Abramoff > and now this. > > I wonder how sex-filled and bribe-filled the oil industry is in > Alaska? > > CALLING LARRY FLYNT! CALLING LARRY FLYNT!! > > --------------------------------- > > (BEGIN > QUOTE)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/10/interior-department-probe_n_... > > Interior Department Probe Reveals Oil-Related Corruption, "Culture Of > Substance Abuse And Promiscuity" > > WASHINGTON — Government officials handling billions of dollars in oil > royalties improperly engaged in sex with employees of energy companies > they were dealing with and received numerous gifts from them, federal > investigators said Wednesday. > > The alleged transgressions involve 13 former and current Interior > Department employees in Denver and Washington. Their alleged > improprieties include rigging contracts, working part-time as private > oil consultants, and having sexual relationships with _ and accepting > golf and ski trips and dinners from _ oil company employees, according > to three reports released Wednesday by the Interior Department's > inspector general. > > The investigations reveal a "culture of substance abuse and > promiscuity" by a small group of individuals "wholly lacking in > acceptance of or adherence to government ethical standards," wrote > Inspector General Earl E. Devaney. Devaney's office spent more than > two years and $5.3 million on the investigations. > > The reports describe a fraternity house atmosphere inside the Denver > Minerals Management Service office responsible for marketing the oil > and gas that energy companies barter to the government instead of > making cash royalty payments for drilling on federal lands. The > government received $4.3 billion in such royalty-in-kind payments last > year. The oil is then resold to energy companies or put in the > nation's emergency stockpile. > > Between 2002 and 2006, nearly a third of the 55-person staff in the > Denver office received gifts and gratuities from oil and gas > companies, including Chevron, Shell, Hess Corp. and Denver-based Gary- > Williams Energy Corp. the investigators found. Two oil marketers who > received gifts and gratuities on at least 135 occasions displayed no > remorse when confronted with their activities, Devaney said. He > singled out Chevron as refusing to cooperate with the investigation. > > Don Campbell, a Chevron spokesman, said Wednesday that the company > "produced all of the documents that the government requested months > ago." > > The reports also said former head of the Denver Royalty-in-Kind > office, Gregory W. Smith, used cocaine and had sex with subordinates. > The report said Smith also steered government contracts to a > consulting business that was employing him part-time. > > Smith, contacted by e-mail by The Associated Press, said he had not > seen the report and could not respond. He and nine other employees in > the Denver office are mentioned in the reports. > > Story continues below > advertisement > > MMS Director Randall Luthi, in an interview with the AP, said the > agency was taking the report "extremely seriously" and would review > the allegations and weigh taking appropriate action in coming months. > The Inspector General is recommending that current employees > implicated be fired and be barred for life from working within the > royalty program. > > House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said "this > whole IG report reads like a script from a television miniseries and > one that cannot air during family viewing time. It is no wonder that > the office was doing such a lousy job of overseeing the RIK program; > clearly the employees had 'other' priorities in that office." > > One of the employees named in the investigation, Jimmy Mayberry, has > already pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington to > violations of conflict-of-interest laws. The Justice Department > declined to prosecute Smith and former Associate Director of the > Minerals Revenue Management program Lucy Querques Denett, who the > report says manipulated contracts to ensure they were awarded to > former Interior employees. > > The findings are the latest sign of trouble at the Minerals Management > Service, which has already been accused of mismanaging the collection > of fees from oil companies and writing faulty contracts for drilling > on government land and offshore. The charges also come as lawmakers > and both presidential candidates weigh giving oil companies more > access to federal lands, which would bring in more money to the > federal government. > > "This all shows the oil industry holds shocking sway over the > administration and even key federal employees," said Sen. Bill Nelson, > D-Fla. "This is why we must not allow Big Oil's agenda to be jammed > through Congress." > > While most government royalties for drilling on federal lands are paid > in cash, the government in recent years has been receiving a greater > share of its oil and gas royalties in the actual product. More of that > oil is also being sold on the open market, versus being deposited in > the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the nation's emergency oil stockpile. > Congress earlier this year passed a law halting deposits of oil to the > reserve to alleviate high gasoline prices. > > Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who was asked about the reports > earlier in the day before they were given to him and congressional > offices, said the investigation was prompted by a 2006 phone call from > anemployee who said there were ethical lapses in the Denver office. > > "I look forward to having the opportunity to review the inspector > general's findings so we can take the appropriate actions," Kempthorne > said. > (END OF QUOTE) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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