A newly released Interior Department report reveals that the federal agency responsible for all offshore oil and gas regulation failed to maintain its distance from the industry [supposedly] subject to its oversight. [Download report here.] In specific, regulators for the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) dined, partied, shot skeet, hunted, golfed, forwarded Web porn, snorted cocaine and smoked meth with oil and gas company employees. Here’s the smoking gun. Well, two actually. “The inspector later sent an e-mail to the Office of Inspector General admitting to participating in several skeet-shooting events, including the 2009 ‘Evangeline Tournament’. He said, however, that he paid his own entrance fee. He also admitted to winning two shotguns in drawings at two of the events between 2002 and 2005.” But wait, there’s more!
Another inspector at the MMS Lake Charles office, admitted that he participated in 12 different events paid for by offshore oil and gas companies, including production companies, such as golf tournaments, skeet-shooting events, and hunting and fishing tournaments during the course of his employment with MMS. He said he received a shotgun as a “door prize” at one of the events in 2002.
I blame Bush. No wait; I blame the guns.
