The culture of the Minerals Management Service office might be summed up in one e-mail exchange found by the inspector general. According to the inspector general's report, the exchange is as follows:
ConocoPhillips employee: "[E]ver get bribed for some of that?"
The MMS inspector: "They try all the time."
ConocoPhillips employee: "[E]ver take 'em?"
The inspector: "I accept 'gifts' from certain people. But we have VERY strict ethic standards as you could imagine."
ConocoPhillips employee: "[C]ertain people, meaning women?"
The inspector: "No. [M]eaning good friends that I wouldn't write up anyway."
