"This is a blistering scalding indictment of the Bush administration's oversight of the Department of Interior," Rep. Markey charged during the House Natural Resources committee hearing. "This is a stain on the Department of Interior and its operations."

In response to Rep. Markey's questioning, Mr. Devaney recommended that the Department of the Interior's Ethics Committee initiate an internal investigation into the conduct of the big oil companies involved in this scandal. "I'm charged with oversight over our employees and am satisfied that we are on track. I wish I had the same oversight and authority with outside entities, but I don't," Mr. Devaney said.

Late last week, Rep. Markey's Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming  launched an investigation into the behavior of Chevron, Shell Oil and Gary Williams, the three companies involved in the scandal.  Chevron responded today, admitting that employees provided "meals, drinks, and other entertainment" to Minerals Management Service employees. Chevron also concedes that several employers "were unable to arrange interviews" with the investigators on this matter, instead sending "non company counsel" in their stead.

In his testimony today before the Natural Resources Committee, Mr. Devaney agreed with Rep. Markey that his investigation "is incomplete because [employees of Shell and Chevron] didn't make themselves available." When pressed upon the failure of the Department of Justice to investigate these matters aggressively and pursue more investigations, Mr. Devaney stated, "I would have liked a more aggressive approach and I would have liked to see some other people prosecuted here."

Letters to Shell Oil and Gary Williams remain unanswered, but these revelations already raise new questions on the interference from the oil companies and the investigation.

"It takes two to tango, and it appears that employees of Big Oil may have danced over just as many ethical lines as their government counterparts. It is vital that we protect the American taxpayers by rooting out not only the ethical misconduct within the Interior Department, but also ensure that if any employees or executives at oil companies were involved in illegal activities, they also must be held accountable," concluded Rep. Markey.

The letter to Chevron can be found here and the response to Rep. Markey here.

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