Honesty in Government?: Wide-Ranging Ethics Scandal Emerges at Interior Dept.
Submitted by andym on September 10, 2008 - 3:47pm.
Not a good thing that these people are in charge of the oil drilling leases.
From the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/washington/11royalty.html?em
Wide-Ranging Ethics Scandal Emerges at Interior Dept.
By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: September 10, 2008
WASHINGTON — As Congress prepares to debate expansion of drilling in taxpayer-owned coastal waters, the Interior Department agency that collects oil and gas royalties has been caught up in a wide-ranging ethics scandal — including allegations of financial self-dealing, accepting gifts from energy companies, cocaine use and sexual misconduct.
In three reports delivered to Congress on Wednesday, the department’s inspector general, Earl E. Devaney, found wrongdoing by a dozen current and former employees of the Minerals Management Service, which collects about $10 billion in royalties annually and is one of the government’s largest sources of revenue other than taxes.
“A culture of ethical failure” besets the agency, Mr. Devaney wrote in a cover memo.
The reports portray a dysfunctional organization that has been riddled with conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior and a free-for-all atmosphere for much of the Bush administration’s watch.....
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The investigation also concluded that several of the officials “frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives.”
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The report said that the officials told investigators that the gifts and socializing did not affect how they treated the companies in their official duties.
They also said did not view socializing with oil company representatives and taking gifts as inappropriate because they said they needed to be part of the marketing culture in order to market the program’s oil and gas.
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(snips)
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Constitution Subcommittee, has announced a hearing on how to best prepare the next president to foster an environment of accountability and responsible use of power seen lacking in the years President Bush and Vice President Cheney have been in office.
Next week the Subcommittee will hear testimony from legal and historical experts on what actions the next president and Congress need to take in order to "repair the damage done by the Bush Administration to the rule of law." The purpose of the hearing is to give the next president the "full range" of proper guidance in restoring and maintaining checks and balances in areas such as wiretapping, interrogations, government secrecy, violations of privacy, detention policy, proper use of executive power and efforts to not mislead Congress.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Sen._Feingold_to_hold_hearing_on_0910.html
This seems to be a good idea in parallel with Kucinich's Commission.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
(snip)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) says he won't cease his efforts to hold the president and his administration accountable for their alleged abuses of power just because George W. Bush will be returning to his Texas ranch come January.
Kucinich says he wants Congress to create a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" to examine what really went on within the Bush White House in the aftermath of 9/11 and the lead up to the Iraq war. He says only an independent body with truth-seeking as its goal -- rather than "fake political unity" -- can repair divisions that have emerged in an increasingly polarized nation.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Kucinich_Seek_truth_not_fake_political_0910.html
A "Truth and Reconcilliation" committee must be established by Congress in order to ascertain the truth behind all of the " 'shrub's and Co's.' " lies.
Case in point, my neighbor's son is on his fourth "tour of duty" in Iraq--the truth: We should have been focused on Bin Laden, AlQuaeda, Taliban and certain individuals within Saudia Arabia (fifteen of the nineteen "skyjackers" were financed and trained in that nation). Our economy is a "mess." Our educational system suffers greatly due to the emphasis on "me-myself-I" rather than "we-ourselves-us."
I can go on.
The point is, Dennis Kucinich is correct. A "Truth and Reconcilliation" committee in Congress must be created in order to bring known un-elected/self-appointed criminals to justice.
Michael Joseph Matteucig
The Commission (a better term) should include several non-political types, and the Commission must have subpoena powers and the authority to refer charges to the Justice Department.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
Dear Sir:
Thank you, once again, for correcting my lexicon. I actually did mean "Commission"-- not "Committee."
Best!
Michael Matteucig
Well, I thought the choice of words was Kucinich's.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
Wes Clark -- Make America All It Can Be!
Given the history of this particular administration, So what else is new?