DoJ Found Insufficient Evidence to Prosecute Other Players in MMS Scandal

POGO, members of Congress, and Department of the Interior Inspector General Earl Devaney have repeatedly questioned the Department of Justice's (DoJ) decision to decline prosecuting Greg Smith and Lucy Denett for their role in the recent Minerals Mangement Service scandal.  DoJ's reply to an inquiry from House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) finally answers the question, saying that they found insufficient evidence.  Conyers found the letter "incomplete and inadequate", and we have to say that we're not too impressed either.

So it looks like questions will continue to linger around management of MMS and the Royalty-In-Kind program.  Also worth noting in the letter, Derek Kravitz from the Washington Post points out that DoJ found "that the inspector general's decision in protest to pull staffers off a task force investigating the Jack Abramoff lobbying case was an 'extraordinary step.'"

-- Mandy Smithberger

Comments

[Posted on: Oct 23, 2008 at 02:29 PM]

One organization that needs to come under scrutiny in the next administration are our beloved and trusty friends at the DOJ. I am will go as far as saying that entrenced career bureaucrats there need to be scrutinized by honest and very capable Obama administration officials. I wonder many of these senior career executives includes high level GS types were promoted by perpetuating the corruption and cronyism of this administration. It should not be a crime or any other violation to question the integrity of the DOJ.