Energy bill mandates ethics training for Interior Dept.

The House energy bill is seeking to strengthen ethics rules at the Interior Department following an internal report showing that some employees accepted gifts from energy companies. 

The legislation instructs the Secretary of the Interior to initiate robust ethics training programs and puts in place a strict gift ban for employees in Minerals Management Service (MSS). Employees or representatives from the gas or oil companies found to have knowingly violated the ban will be subject to stiff financial penalties and possibly jail time.

{mosads}On Sept. 10, federal investigators revealed that employees of the MMS — the office within the interior that collect royalties from the oil and gas companies — were found to have accepted gifts from industry employees. The report details trips paid for by oil and gas companies during which MMS employees engaged in drug use and sexual misconduct.

“Royalties are one of the largest sources of revenue for the federal government after taxes. The Interior Department’s Inspector General just reported on a range of illegal and unethical behaviors plaguing the MMS, including accepting gifts, meals, and drinks from industry representatives; instances of illegal drug use among employees; sexual relationships between MMS employees and representatives of oil and gas companies; and violations of federal procurement regulations, which clearly put taxpayer dollars at risk, such as steering lucrative contracts to former employees in the private sector,” said a release from Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) on Tuesday.

Pelosi had indicated last week that the energy bill would include an ethics component to prevent these abuses from occurring again.