Gale Norton under investigation for corruption

Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton is under investigation for potentially steering government contracts a to corporation who later hired her, the LA Times reports.

As Interior Secretary, Norton granted three very lucrative contracts to Shell Oil, the value of which could be "hundreds of billions of dollars" over the years. The Justice Department is investigating whether Norton discussed employment with Shell while the contracts were being awarded, which would violate federal law.

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Interior Department investigators referred the case to the Justice Department after concluding that there was sufficient evidence of potential illegal conduct, according to federal law enforcement and Interior officials. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive and confidential nature of the case.

Those officials said the referral was based on an already comprehensive Interior Department investigation that included interviews with numerous Interior employees. The Justice Department has assigned prosecutors from its public integrity section and the U.S. attorney's office in Washington to the case.