The Federal Minerals Management Service

The Federal Minerals Management Service the Oil industry watchdog, was compromised which may have led to the BP disaster

The Federal agency overseeing the Oil industry looked the other way as BP and other off shore companies violated safety laws because of the $13bn in taxes the government receives annually. Because of this very tidy sum and what may be considered as bribes the agency allowed unsafe conditions to exist.

A report from the Federal Agency, the Minerals Management Service suggests that Washington Politicians allowed themselves to be seduced by the big oil companies because of tax money provided by BP and the rest of Big Oil. It seems to be the norm in Washington, money talks loud and clear, and federal employees look the other way.

Oversight was completely lacking, instead the department's acting inspector general, Mary Kendall, outlined how staff at the oil industry's chief safety watchdog, MMS, accepted tickets to sporting events, lunches and hunting trips from oil and gas firms. The question is what was expected of these employees in return?

According to Kendall, Pornography being viewed on government computers was a normal event and one of a number of violations at the Louisiana office of the MMS. But what is even more alarming is the fact that the multibillion dollar oil industry exercised a strong grip on MMS by way of their employees, MMS is the agency charged with an obligation to regulate oil company drilling and other operations.

There are examples of companies filling in their own safety forms and thwarting attempts by the MMS to tighten offshore regulations, but the agency was more compromised by conflicts of interest, looking after and balancing both safety and tax revenues at the same time.

And these gifts bestowed by Oil companies could be considered bribes.

The oil industry; like Banks control the White House and congress. Big Oil firms, like Big Banks, are too big to regulate or control, their money pays the way for congress to run elections. And where money is involved Washington will always look the other way.