One year ago, the US Department of the Interior’s Inspector General issued a damning report on government officials who had taken advantage of their positions to benefit from lucrative contracts with oil company affiliates. Secretary Ken Salazar, who replaced the now infamous Dirk Kempthorne, released the report to the public. However, it is unlikely that the revelations will lead to any prosecutions. Instead, Secretary Salazar will likely implement window-dressing rules changes within the Department.
The report highlighted the use of a departmental form entitled “Request to Engage in Outside Work or Activity”. This raises the question of why senior department officials are allowed to hold full-time positions within the US Government while also supplementing their income with additional work. In the case of Gregory Smith, Associate Director and Program Director of the Royalty-in-Kind program, he earned an additional $30,075 over a 14-month period while working full-time for the US taxpayer.
Questions have been raised over the amount of work experience held by senior US Cabinet level officials. Last year, a story broke of such officials engaging in inappropriate activities, such as sex with contractors and subordinates, cocaine parties and lavish entertainment expenses given by oil companies. This raises questions about the conduct of those in senior government positions and whether they are taking advantage of their 35-hour work-week and engaging in lucrative side dealings that would not be allowed in the private sector.
The case of one executive in the office responsible for administering oil and gas leases working for the very contractors he was supposed to regulate and control is particularly concerning. My friend Jacqui, who worked in the public sector, was frustrated by the mentality that instead of working hard, many would stop at the stroke of five and put everything away, wasting 20 minutes re-starting the same item the next day.
This raises questions about whether this is standard operating procedure for US Cabinet department senior officers. As taxpayers in an economy with 10% unemployment and 17% underemployment, it is questionable whether senior Treasury Officials should be consulting with the bankers they are trying to regulate, or those working on the Climate Change Bill should be playing legislative footsie with the EPA and/or Energy Department. Similarly, it is worrying that those trying to bring about healthcare reform are being advised by doctor, hospital and pharmaceutical lobbyist groups.
