"J. Steven Griles joined the Bush administration as deputy interior secretary convinced that the nation's land use policies had swung too far in favor of conservationists at the expense of commercial interests, especially the oil and mining industries. In this he was no different from any of the other lobbyists and think-tank conservatives President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney picked to fill the administration's key environmental posts.

Mr. Griles, who in private life represented oil and mining companies, pushed the pendulum the other way - pushed it so far, in fact, that any semblance of balance between conservation and commerce disappeared. The environmental community is not unhappy to see him leave as part of the second-term administration shuffle. Neither are we."

Get the Story:
Editorial: A Welcome Departure From Interior (The New York Times 12/20)
pwnyt

Inspector General Report:
J. Steven Griles Investigation (March 2004)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
Norton stripping BIA of trust duties (November 16, 2001) | Tribal leaders in uproar over proposal (November 16, 2001) | Griles taking lead on trust reform (November 5, 2001)

Indianz.Com Profile:
Deputy Secretary: J. Steven Griles (3/9)

Related Stories:
Norton to remain on job for second Bush term (12/10)
Top Interior official resigns from Bush administration (12/08)
Griles blames controversies on Bush opponents (12/08)
Report blames lax culture for Griles ethical 'train wreck' (03/17)
Bush strategy assumes no trust mismanagement (11/05)
Court challenges move to 'extinguish' rights (11/04)
Judge rejects Norton's 'absurd' accounting claim (09/23)
Griles nearly perjured himself (9/18)
White House embroiled in trust fund mess (07/31)
House clears DOI budget bill (7/18)
Griles slammed for ignorance (7/12)
Norton's accounting funds limited (6/28)
Griles can't explain trust standards (6/27)
Recusal didn't bar Griles involvement (5/27)
Bush administration bets on accounting (3/18)