In my old conservation news at http://www.forwolves.org/ralph/stories.html I repeatedly referred to J. Steven Griles Assistant Secretary of Interior as “ethically-challenged.” Griles was number two at the Dept. of Interior, behind Secretary of Interior Gale Norton.
It appears Griles is now in real trouble. He has been told by federal investigators that he is a target in the investigation of lobbyist Jack Abramoff’ (now behind bars) and the web of corruption he spun.
Now that the Democrats are the majority, congressional oversight (investigation of executive branch agencies) is now longer suppressed, and it is expected that numerous other Dept. of Interior activities and personnel will be investigated for their legality.
The Department of Interior houses the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and many more agencies and programs related to our public lands and conservation.
Story Ex-Interior Deputy a Target in Abramoff Probe. By Susan Schmidt. Washington Post Staff Writer
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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It is interesting that just a day or two ago, Bush withdrew the names of the three potential Circuit Court nominees that, somehow, even in the depths of the depravity and republican domination of the past few years, had been stopped. One of those was William Myers, the fomrer INterior department Solicitor, who according to Friends of the Earth, spent 90 percent of his time meeting with industry out to destroy the public lands?
I wonder????? If Griles gets in trouble, if he will start talking about Myers? Myers is now in Boise, working for cattle grazing interests, AND the mountain top removal wind farms on BLM lands in critical sage grouse habitats industries … and who knows what else …