Oil & Gas Auditor in NYT

In light of today's New York Times article on Interior Department auditors filing False Claims Act lawsuits, we are making documents on the Bobby Maxwell case available: his amended complaint (pdf) and the court's response (pdf) to a motion for summary judgment.

According to the Times, Maxwell is one of several auditors who have filed suit against oil companies for underpayments on drilling fees, known as royalties. Interior Department-funded state and tribal auditors have also raised concerns about auditing and are now facing retaliation. In August, members of Congress wrote to Interior's Minerals Management Service expressing concern about the retaliation. POGO submitted written testimony for a House Government Reform hearing last week which outlined these issues and documented how collections from auditing are at an historic all-time low.