Retired USBR Employee Violated Post-Employment Conflict-of-Interest Law

The OIG investigated allegations that a retired Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) employee represented his current employer in matters in which he participated personally and substantially while he was employed at the USBR, violating post-employment conflict-of-interest laws. We confirmed that the retired employee represented his current employer in four matters which were substantially the same as those he engaged in while employed with the USBR. We found that he represented his current employer on a biological assessment on which he had been the primary decision maker while with the USBR, and that he was involved in the transfer of levee titles, which he discussed with his current employer while he was employed by the USBR. The retired employee also communicated back to the USBR about litigation surrounding water accounting methods—an issue he was involved with while with the USBR. Finally, he participated in litigation matters and meetings regarding a USBR dam, first as a USBR employee and then again after he retired. The retired employee declined to be interviewed, but an attorney for his new employer provided us with a written rebuttal to the four allegations. We referred this case to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, which declined to prosecute.