Ex-Interior Deputy Testifies Lobbyist Offered Him Job

[struggle4progress]

By PHILIP SHENON
Published: November 3, 2005
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 - The former No. 2 official at the Interior Department acknowledged to Congressional investigators on Wednesday that he had received a job offer while at the department from the lobbyist Jack Abramoff and that he had other contacts with Mr. Abramoff, the focus of a corruption inquiry.

The official, former Deputy Secretary J. Steven Griles, insisted in testimony to a hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that there was nothing improper in his ties to Mr. Abramoff and that he had immediately reported the job offer, in 2003, to ethics officials in the department. It can be a crime for federal officials to open job negotiations while working for the government.

Mr. Griles, who left the department to set up his lobbying firm, acknowledged the offer after being confronted by the committee chairman, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, with an e-mail message from Sept. 9, 2003, by Mr. Abramoff. In it, Mr. Abramoff told his lobbying colleagues that he had met with Mr. Griles that evening, that Mr. Griles was "ready to leave Interior and will most likely be coming to join us" and that "I expect he will be with us in 90-120 days." <snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/03/politics/03lobby.html

[Canuckistanian]

1. Oh. I am so surprised. What a shocker.

I think I'll just shut down now........

[marbuc]

2. I really think they should extend the time period between gov employment

and lobbying from one year to something like 3-5 years. Critics may cry restraint of trade, but the current system just isn't right.

[AlCzervik]

3. i watched the replay of the hearing on cspan tonight

Griles was literally beet red while he was speaking, my 11 year old daughter said to me "Mom is that guy sick, he's all red, is he lying about something or does he need a bathroom break?"

A former counsel to the office of the interior was there, a guy named Rosetti and he seemed to contradict what Griles was saying on some other matters.

[leanin_green]

4. I watched too. I thought he was going to keel over anytime.

That guy is screwed. Except, I did see McCain give him a wink when he adjourned the committee. Might be nothing, then again. How long will these officials keep relying on that tired old defense of "that's not to my recollection, I don't recall it that way, or I can't speak to what other people write in their emails." I mean, really, are we that stupid?

[AlCzervik]

6. "I really want things to right here Senator, i tell you from my heart

i mean that" I swear i thought o would hork! And he did look like he was ready to keel over or at least reach for the nitro pills.

[WhiteTara]

5. Yeah, it was so obvious that he was a plant

from the beginning. He dropped into the job long enough to do his assignment and then he was out of there. I hope they all go to jail

[DeepModem Mom]

7. kick