September 21, 2011 11:08 PM UTC

Tom Strickland Waltzes Through The Revolving Door

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• by: Colorado Pols

AP via Washington Post:

The former chief of staff to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has taken a job with one of the law firms representing BP in legal proceedings stemming from the massive Gulf oil spill last year.

Tom Strickland joined the Interior Department as Salazar’s chief of staff and an assistant secretary in 2009. He worked there at time when the department ushered in reforms and new ethical rules to reduce conflicts of interest between offshore oil drilling’s regulator and drilling companies after a series of scandals at offices in Colorado and along the Gulf Coast…

A managing partner for his new firm, WilmerHale, said Strickland would have no role in the firm’s work for BP in connection with April 2010 oil spill.

Tom Strickland, former U.S. Attorney for Colorado and two-time loser Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, left the Interior Department in February. To be honest, we don’t have much good to say about Strickland’s tenure there–from being airlifted out of the Grand Canyon to deal belatedly with the Deepwater Horizon spill to the abrupt manner of his departure this year, and now a meal ticket with the law firm defending BP from the aftermath of the very same spill…sure. We’re sure it’s all legal and straight and in comportment with applicable ethics rules. “Walled off from any communications” pertaining to his prior official duties. Whatever.

Just like when Gale Norton left Interior to work for Shell, the appearances are total crap, and we would be doing everybody a disservice if we didn’t say so.