The revolving door appears to be oiled up and turning smoothly in Texas. When the Texas Railroad Commission was searching for a new director to keep an eye on the oil industry, last year, they selected a former oil and gas executive. And when the Commission needed a new chief lawyer, they turned to the former legal counsel for a coal company. These are just the latest in a long string of selections and appointments that exemplify the cozy relationship in Texas between the oil industry and the agency that is supposed to regulate it.
A review of employment, business and lobbying records by the Austin American-Statesmanshows a river of employees flowing from the oil and gas industry to the highest levels of the Railroad Commission. Conversely, when these employees leave the Commission, they often go back to protecting companies they once regulated.
As a result, the Commission has ignored or rejected criticism from watchdogs on everything from earthquake activity to fracking.