Obama to Name Oil Industry Crony to Top Position

By Ken Silverstein

As first reported here, international energy consultant David Goldwyn, “will likely be named U.S. special envoy for energy. That comes from an item yesterday by Laura Rozen at The Cable.

For all intents and purposes, Goldwyn is a lobbyist, although weak disclosure rules don’t require him to register. He works for international oil firms and on behalf of crooked oil-rich countries like Turkmenistan and Libya. Just the sort of guy you want shaping American energy policy.

Rozen quoted a former administration official as saying Goldwyn “has worked to bring more transparency to the energy sectors of countries he’s worked in, including Nigeria.” That’s pretty amusing since Nigeria remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world. It would be interesting to hear about Goldwyn’s achievements there (and in Turkmenistan and Libya).

It looks like Obama will pursue the same old American policy towards energy-rich nations: give us your oil and steal all you like.