Key Federal Regulator Took Gifts From Oil Company, Misused Travel Funds, Investigation Shows

SANTA FE, N.M. — An investigation has found that a former Bureau of Land Management official in New Mexico who oversaw one of the largest onshore mineral production areas in the U.S. took gifts from an oil company and misused travel funds.

Details of the Interior Department probe were released Monday in documents obtained by an environmental group through a records request.

The investigation says former Farmington BLM district manager Steve Henke (heen-KEY') took gifts from Williams Exploration and Production – golf tickets, lodging and meals – and solicited donations for his son's youth baseball teams.

Henke retired in May to become head of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association. He says no regulatory favors were exchanged with the industry.

Comments

[JeffreyGold]

01:21 PM on 08/26/2010

Just reinforces the broad swath of corruption. When people at the top are engaging in greed, fraud, and corruption, the ambitious---but less connected---just below them, will engage in the same. That's the real trickle-down economics.

[SteveDenver]

06:13 PM on 08/25/2010

File charges, drag him through court; and if found guilty, seize his assets, fine him and throw him in jail.

[David Bedell]

06:02 PM on 08/25/2010

Execute him in China, send him over there in chains, they can take care of the rest....

[StopMakingSense2]

04:52 PM on 08/25/2010

Why do industries keep pushing for self regulation when they own the government?

[turamali]

04:19 PM on 08/25/2010

So he is going to jail, right?

[angry expat]

10:51 AM on 08/25/2010

Business as usual. It's all about insider game playing.

[paxatman]

10:20 AM on 08/25/2010

The lingering Bush/Cheney odor. It is going to take something much stronger than tea to clean it up.

[ReedYoung]

10:39 PM on 08/25/2010

Corexit?

[exeps]

12:41 AM on 08/25/2010

I'm a retired BLM staffer who was responsible for advising management on the conflicts between our land use plans, other laws, and proposed oil & gas leasing proposals. I worked for a different District Manager (who was even more overtly pro-industry) but worked with Henke on statewide oil and gas environmental issues. I feel like a sucker. I believed in BLM's multiple use mission and advised management accordingly. When Steve or my District Manager ignored my recommendations, I accepted that they were acting with a broader frame of reference but with a common multiple-use mission. I think that the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association and the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association should reimburse the taxpayers for costs of maintaining expensive federal agencies to do their bidding.

[lvdragonlady]

10:28 PM on 08/24/2010

This should surprise NO ONE.
The real question is how many more are doing the same thing.

[drwtsn]

09:07 PM on 08/24/2010

"Henke ... says no regulatory favors were exchanged with the industry."

-----------------------------------

So there's nothing to see here, folks. Keep moving along.

[hobo62]

08:35 PM on 08/24/2010

Isn't this a Federal crime?

[silverfox002]

06:55 PM on 08/24/2010

Wow!!! this is a total SHOCK!!!

[rougebaisers]

06:49 PM on 08/24/2010

No? A regulator taking bribe money?

[rikster]

06:20 PM on 08/24/2010

surprised..?

[silverfox002]

06:04 PM on 08/24/2010

Political Influencers and Lobbyists – Part 6 – Effective Or Not?
There is an understandable suspicion that, since money talks, individuals and groups that can spend large amounts of money get more from the politicians and parties that they support than most voters. In the concluding article in this series on political influencers and lobbyists, we’ll look at that suspicion. [...]

http://silverbuzzcafe.com/?p=12989