IG Report: Meth, Porn Use By Drilling Agency Staff

[The Straight Story]

IG Report: Meth, Porn Use By Drilling Agency Staff

Washington, - Staff members at an agency that oversees offshore drilling accepted tickets to sports events, lunches and other gifts from oil and gas companies and used government computers to view pornography, according to an Interior Department report alleging a culture of cronyism between regulators and the industry.

In at least one case, an inspector for the Minerals Management Service admitted using crystal methamphetamine and said he might have been under the influence of the drug the next day at work, according to the report by the acting inspector general of the Interior Department.

The report cites a variety of violations of federal regulations and ethics rules at the agency's Louisiana office. Previous inspector general investigations have focused on inappropriate behavior by the royalty-collection staff in the agency's Denver office.

The report adds to the climate of frustration and criticism facing the Obama administration in the monthlong oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, although it covers actions before the spill. Millions of gallons of oil are gushing into the Gulf, endangering wildlife and the livelihoods of fishermen, as scrutiny intensifies on a lax regulatory climate.

http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/ig-report-meth-porn-use-by-drilling-agency-staff/890099/May-25-2010_11-48-am/

[pscot]

1. Not too hard to figure out

who's gonna be taking the fall. It's a classic. Throw the book at the guys at the bottom of the food chain. Rahall, in nominal charge of this stuff, was quiet as crickets when Massey killed 2 dosen of his constituents. Now he's shocked; shocked and outraged to find the MMS is riddled with corruption and cooption. He had no idea the drillers and diggers were running the agency.