Love, American Style

As the Washington Post's editors remarked about just one aspect of the case, "It's the kind of story that seems to confirm everything people believe is sleazy about the way Washington works." I'm referring to the matter of one J. Stephen Griles, formerly the Number Two at the Department of the Interior under Secretary Gale Norton. From his first day in the Bush administration, Griles was a proverbial snake in the grass -- a guy with a dossier full of past ethics violations and talent for moving seamlessly between lobbying gigs for extractive industries to government appointments where he was to "regulate" those very same sectors.

Now finally, thanks to l'Affaire Abramoff (what a tangled web that is), Griles has been convicted on charges of obstructing justice, after he repeatedly lied to investigators about his romantic relationship with Italia Federici, one of Abramoff's closest associates. Unfortunately, as part of a plea agreement, Griles will get off easy -- a 10-month sentence, half of which will be served in "home confinement." Griles shares that home with his new girlfriend, one Sue Ellen Wooldridge, who earlier in the year resigned her position at the Justice Department. As the AP's John Heilprin reports,

Wooldridge, as the nation's environmental prosecutor, bought a $980,000 vacation home last year with Griles and Donald R. Duncan, the top Washington lobbyist for ConocoPhillips. Nine months later, she signed an agreement giving the company more time to clean up air pollution at some of its refineries.