Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Monday swore in former Justice Department Inspector General Michael Bromwich to lead the new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOE).
He is expected to lead reforms to strengthen oversight and policing of offshore oil and gas development. The BOE was formed as part of the restructuring of the Minerals Management Service, which came under sharp criticism in the wake of the gulf oil spill for conflicts of interests in regulating and collecting revenues from offshore drilling operations.
Salazar praised Bromwich’s "strong track record" for reforming organizations.
“He will be a key part of our team as we continue to change the way the Department of the Interior does business, help our nation transition to a clean energy future, and lead the reforms that will raise the bar for offshore oil and gas operations,” Salazar said.
Bromwich served as Inspector General for the Department of Justice from 1994 to 1999 and oversaw numerous high-profile investigations, including the misconduct in the FBI laboratory and the FBI’s involvement in the Aldrich Ames case.
He has also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York from 1983 to 1987 and as an associate counsel in the Office of the Independent Counsel during the Iran-Contra investigation from 1987 to 1989.
As a partner with the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson since 1999, Bromwich has specialized in conducting internal investigations for private companies and other organizations; providing monitoring and oversight services in connection with public and private litigation and government enforcement actions; and representing institutions and individuals in white-collar criminal and regulatory matters.
“The BP oil spill has underscored the need for stronger oversight of
offshore oil and gas operations, more tools and resources for aggressive
enforcement, and a more effective structure for the agency that holds
companies accountable,” said Bromwich. “We will move quickly and
responsibly on our reforms.”
A 1976 graduate of Harvard, Bromwich received a JD from Harvard Law
School and a Masters degree in public policy from the university’s John
F. Kennedy School of Government.
Since May 28, Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey has been serving as Interim Acting Director of the Minerals Management Service. Abbey will return to serving as full-time director of the BLM.
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