Oil rig inspectors took company gifts, watchdog finds
Federal inspectors overseeing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico accepted meals and tickets to sporting events from companies they monitored, according to a new report from the Interior Department’s inspector general.
In one case, an inspector in the Minerals Management Service office in Louisiana conducted inspections of four offshore platforms while negotiating a job with the company, the report states. Others in the same office accepted tickets to the 2005 Peach Bowl game, and one inspector said, “Everyone has gotten some sort of gift before at some point” from companies they regulated, according to the report.