Director of Agency Overseeing Offshore Drilling Is Fired (the heads begin to roll)

Elizabeth Birnbaum, director of the embattled U.S. Minerals Management Service, which oversees offshore drilling, has been fired, Fox News has confirmed.

But Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told a congressional committee Thursday that Birnbuam resigned.

Sources familiar with the matter told Fox News that she is not being reassigned and that she is out of government entirely.Her departure came just hours before a news conference where President Obama plans to address the oil spill and announce new safety protocols and an extension of a deepwater drilling moratorium.

Obama and members of Congress have criticized what they call the cozy relationship between regulators and oil companies and have vowed to reform MMS, which both regulates the industry and collects billions in royalties from it.

Birnbaum was scheduled to testify before the House Appropriations Committee Thursday morning about the oil spill but she did not appear. Her deputy, Secretary David Hayes testified in her place alongside Salazar. Rep. Nick Rahal, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, said Birnbaum's departure "does not address the root problem."

Source: www.foxnews.com...

Well, I didn't think anyone would get fired but Hey, Obama surprises us everyday.
I don't think it will matter and mostly likely she will eventually let out more info that will shed more light onto what was going on in the agency and with the W.H.

She should be interviewed by investigators RIGHT NOW>

Of course people would get fired. They are in need of scapegoats. They just better be careful, because those scapegoats could become whistleblowers.

reply to post by anon72


Boy, you are a busy little bee today!

This is great news. I hope we hear of more firings and other consequences over this! Let's see some heads roll! (metaphorically speaking, of course)

Not just scapegoats, Henri- but there is a lot of corruption at work here (which has probably been in place for decades) Shoot. If they're smart, they will probably leave the country to try & escape prosecution. (yeah, I know how optimistic that is)

ETA Hey Anon! I just realized this is your thread. Great catch! Let's hope for more of these. I wish that Salazar would be next.

[edit on 27-5-2010 by DogsDogsDogs]

well a whisleblower, how can you blow the whisle when your dead, this persons life is not
going to be worth One eye ota, if this person has anything to show embarassement to the Obama administration, you can just imagne where this person will wind up, Never befor
have we had such a governing adminsitration that has acted in th manner and form as we
now have, being drunk with power their disregard is unbelievable

reply to post by magicman56


Well, I was referring more to what was going on at the agecny (porn surffing-accepting gifts etc; sounds like the SEC regulators!).

I didn't think she was a high enough or involved enough wiht the Obama to be included in any BP discussions. I could be wrong but I don't think so-hence why she was canned.

reply to post by DogsDogsDogs

I wish that Salazar would be next.

Yes, but I doubt it. Maybe if this thing were to get absolutely out of hand.

She has only been in charge of that long ago sinking ship:

The DOI Inspector General recently found that "between 2002 and 2006, nearly 1/3 of the entire RIK[Royalty-In-Kind*] staff socialized with, and received a wide array of gifts and gratuities from, oil and gas companies with whom RIK was conducting official business." The IG also described a
culture of "ethical failure" and
"substance abuse and
promiscuity" in the RIK office.

The GAO found that in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008, MMS could not accurately account for the RIK program's costs and benefits. Despite unverifiable statistics about the program's success, and evidence that the RIK program was found at times to lose money, MMS continued to expand the RIK program.
. . .
Even though the operations of the program remain largely opaque, the information available strongly indicates that
RIK exists to benefit the oil and gas industry, to the
detriment of the public.

www.pogo.org...

Probably quite literally if you have sexual kinks, drug addictions the oil compaines push to have you work at MMS.

I guarantee you that Oil company employees are acquiring illegal narcotics &/or [self-]prostitutes for these broken bureaucrats.

This is gangster corruption.

WTF are we paying taxes to gangsters in & out of government?

reply to post by slank


It's the way business is done in D.C-apparently. This agency and the SEC. WHo's next?

I guessing......say....... Department of HUD (Housing and Urban Developement-more specifically a sub-branch known as R.E.S.P.A.