So, an OSHA representative holds classes for mostly unemployed fishermen in southern Louisiana, providing them with essential training they need to get jobs cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the 2010 oil spill. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, it certainly would be, if the OSHA trainer was actually an OSHA employee and if the whole thing wasn’t an elaborate ruse designed to exploit disadvantaged communities.

The U.S. Department of Labour and the EPA are investigating the eyebrow-raising case of a Mississippi woman who is accused of using false credentials to convince over 1,000 fisherman to take an “OSHA” training course to get work cleaning the spill. Connie M. Knight allegedly identified herself as a “Master Level V Inspector and Instructor” and the top-ranking female trainer from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration when she attempted to get fishermen across the area to pay $100 to $300 to … Read more...