Sex, Lies And Oil  

Sterling Allan at Free Energy News has a good roundup of stories on the US Interior Department oil and sex scandal - Sex, Drugs and Rockin' Oil.

None of us in the renewable energy sector are surprised by the scandal that was announced Wednesday involving sex and drug favors to the U.S. Department of Interior personnel overseeing offshore oil drilling.

This embarrassing illustration of the cozy relationship between the Bush administration and the oil industry is now paraded before the world. This unveiling of the wizard behind the curtain can be a positive thing for the quest to move toward renewable energy sources.

The day prior to the report's release, President Bush had a private lunch with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, the man in charge of the agency at the heart of the scandal. To be a fly on the wall during that meeting . . .

The allegations of scandalous behavior involve a dozen or so government employees in Denver and Washington. Their task is to sell U.S. mineral rights to oil companies -- contracts worth eight billion annually, providing one of the government's biggest sources of revenue besides taxes.

According to the inspector general, they rigged contracts, and engaged in illegal moonlighting, drugs, sex and gift-taking from oil company representatives.

The report allegations include:

* An employee who attended a so-called "treasure hunt" in the desert with all expenses paid by an oil producer.
* A former supervisor who bought cocaine from a colleague, then boosted her performance award, had sex with subordinates and steered government contracts to an outside business where he also worked.

CBS News reported that "no one - from the oil companies to the workers allegedly involved - provided a response today other than to say they cooperated with the investigation, or appropriate action will be taken."