More sleaze at the Department of the Interior
It’s hard to decide which Federal agency is the most corrupt these days but Interior is certainly in the running for that prize.
Today’s New York Times (24 March 2007) has a front page article Ex-Interior Aide is Guilty of Lying in Lobbying Case. The second highest official in the Dept. of Interior, J. Steven Griles, pleaded guilty to lying before a Senate committee about his ties to Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist who is now in prison.
According to the article, Mr. Griles told the Senate committee he had “no special relationship” with Jack Abramoff even though Abramoff routinely sought and received advice from Mr. Griles. He also failed to mention that he had a sexual relationship with one Italia Federici. Ms. Federici is the president of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy which received $500,000 from Mr. Abramoff. As Mr. Giles may have said, “Advocate this, honey!”… 
The article also mentions that Mr. Griles had teamed up with a top ConocoPhillips lobbyist to buy a $980,000 vacation home. This purchase was approved by Sue Ellen Wooldridge, a top official in the Dept. of the Interior at the time. She also ended up as a co-owner of the vacation home. Conflict of Interest? What conflict of interest? Ms. Wooldridge is now, erh, “living in sin” with Mr. Griles in Falls Church, VA. (I know, I know… nobody gets married these days but heck, these are Republicans! Where’s their family values!?)
Ms. Wooldridge a former solicitor (No, not that kind!… a lawyer!) and senior aide to Secretary of the Interior, Gail Norton, ended up as a lawyer at the Justice Dept. prosecuting environmental cases… Including one against Conoco Phillips which she, erh, dropped.
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