NASA IG Clears Bolden of Ethics Law Violation

NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has cleared NASA Administrator Bolden of violating ethics laws or regulations regarding a phone call he made to an official of Marathon Oil, a company in which he has a financial interest. However, the IG report said that Bolden’s actions “raised concerns about an appearance of a conflict of interest” and disagreed “with the determination made by NASA attorneys that it was not necessary to report Bolden’s contact with Marathon to OIG.”

The matter involved a conversation Bolden had with a Marathon Oil official regarding algae-based fuels while NASA was considering whether to fund a project called Offshore Membrane Enclosure for Growing Algae (OMEGA). The OIG report says that Bolden has $500,000-$1 million of Marathon stock and had served on its Board of Directors for six years prior to becoming Administrator. The report noted that “When interviewed by the OIG about this matter, Bolden readily acknowledged that he had erred in contacting Marathon. Bolden said he has since recused himself from issues involving OMEGA and has received supplemental training regarding his ethical responsibilities.”