BP CEO John Browne and U.S. Interior Department official resign
In one of the oddest corporate tumbles in recent memory, BP CEO John Browne has resigned over allegations that he lied in court about the origins of his four-year relationship with a male escort. Huh wha? Browne, who spent 41 years rising through the oil giant’s ranks, was slated for early retirement this summer as a result of BP’s recent leak ‘n’ explosion troubles. But he moved that date up after a tabloid published an exposé that included allegations that he had used company resources to support his companion — charges BP has cleared him of. Browne forgoes about $30 million in benefits, along with any chance of a snicker-free future. In similar but less salacious news, embattled Interior Department official Julie MacDonald has resigned just as Congress was preparing to review concerns about her oversight of the Fish and Wildlife Service, including charges that she altered reports to minimize endangered-species protection. Why did she resign? To spend more time with her family, of course.
