By DINA CAPPIELLO – 12 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Government brokers responsible for collecting billions of dollars in federal oil royalties operated in a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" that included having sex with energy company employees, accepting lavish gifts and rigging contracts to favored firms, investigators said Wednesday.
The alleged transgressions involve 13 former and current Interior Department employees in Denver and Washington. Their alleged improprieties include influencing contracts, working part-time as private oil consultants and having sexual relationships with — and accepting golf and ski trips, snowboarding lessons and concert tickets from — oil company employees, according to three reports released Wednesday by the Interior Department's inspector general.
You can read the report here:
http://www.doioig.gov/
As I go through the report here are some highlights(i had to type these up so typos are mine):
WASHINGTON (AP) — Government brokers responsible for collecting billions of dollars in federal oil royalties operated in a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" that included having sex with energy company employees, accepting lavish gifts and rigging contracts to favored firms, investigators said Wednesday.
The alleged transgressions involve 13 former and current Interior Department employees in Denver and Washington. Their alleged improprieties include influencing contracts, working part-time as private oil consultants and having sexual relationships with — and accepting golf and ski trips, snowboarding lessons and concert tickets from — oil company employees, according to three reports released Wednesday by the Interior Department's inspector general.
You can read the report here:
http://www.doioig.gov/
As I go through the report here are some highlights(i had to type these up so typos are mine):
- "For instance, we learned that two RIK employees who had attended a daytime industry-sponsored event had later spend the evening in lodging provided by that company because they were too intoxicated to safely drive to a nearby hotel. . . . Other witnesses we interviewed stated that RIK employees "partied" frequently with oil and gas industry representatives and that these two RIK marketers were commonly referred to by insutry reprsentatives as the "MMS Chicks"."
- "The CS in this case also told us about a sex toy business that Leyshon owned and advertised by passing out business cards at work. According to the CS, Leyshon had bragged that she made more money with this business than her salary at MMS."
- "Shell provided Leyshon with lodging and paid for her ski costs in Keystone, CO. Leyshon said she did not reimburse Shell for these expenses but claimed to apply the "reciprocal" or "equal value" logic by providing "a bunch of alcohol" valued at approximately $60 for those in attendance."
- "Leyshon also told investigators that she had inteimate relationships with two oil company representatives. Specifically, Leyshon said she ahd a sexual relationship with an emplyee of a company that had "Pacific" in its name. According to Leyshon, "Facific" did not bid on or transport RIK oil. She also admitted to having a "one-night stand" with a shell employee. She said she did not subesquently recuse herself from work invloving Shell because she only had a "one-night stand" wit its employee and did not think this would affect RIK business. . . . In her earlier sworn statemen, Leyshon wrote, "I do not have any inappropriate relationships, or personal relationships with any of the representatives from the various companies. . . . Leyshon explained that she did not think her relationships with these employees were inappropriate and she did not consider a "one-night stand" to be a personal relationship."
- "Leyshon told investigators that she "had a hit every once in a while" in reference to her use of marijuana but noted that this never occurred at the MMS office."
- "She[Edler] explained that she had originally planned to stay at a condo she had reserved, but the weather turned bad. Advised that the investivation had disclosed that she spend the night at Shell's lodge because she had too much to drink, Edler said, "It could have been that, too. Honestly, I don't recall the reason. It was a long time ago."
- Edler said she had romatic relationships with two men from the oil industry: One who worked for Shell Piepeline Company and an oil scheduler fro Shevron."
- When asked if she had personal or sexual relationships with any else from insutry, Edler asked the agents if they had any e-mails or evidence with which to remind her, adding "I did date people."
- Edler admitted that she had used cocaine "in the past" most recently in 2005. However, she claimed that she never used cocine during bsuiness hours"
- "Finally, Layer informed us that she had witnessed Edler making advances on a male industry executive at one of Shell's holiday parties."
- "Fantel received a $4,000 prize from the management company of the Colorado Rockies baseball team. Fantel did not report the prize income on his OGE 450 for that year as required."
