Bribery's back!

From the NYT:

HOUSTON (AP) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission is formally investigating allegations that a Halliburton Co. subsidiary was involved in paying $180 million in bribes to get a natural gas project contract in Nigeria. Vice President Dick Cheney was head of the oil services conglomerate at the time.

I suppose, to be fair, you have to consider the possibility that the CEO couldn't keep tabs on every little 180 million dollar bribe...

Just to provide historical context:

On October 10, 1973, Spiro "Ted" Agnew became the first U.S. vice president to resign in disgrace. His resignation was part of an agreement with the Justice Department in which he pleaded no contest to income tax evasion charges stemming from contract kickbacks received while he was governor of Maryland and vice president.

I'm such a nattering nabob of negativism, aren't I?