Do you work for the Government or the Private Sector?
Fantel tells CBS News that he ran the business out of a home office but says, "My website never generated any business for me." He says he diverted some inquiries to other consultants involved with the venture but says he took the site down "because it's caused too much confusion." Fantel says he started the business over ten years ago and says MMS officials never asked him about it saying, "I don't think they ever knew about it." Fantel says if business had come to him through the site he would have cleared it through the ethics office and added, "I know the rules."
Patrick Etchart, spokesman for the MMS office in Denver told CBS News there are strict conflict of interst and ethic rules that all government employees must abide by. Etchart adds, "An employee would not be allowed to do any consulting work for a company that is interacting with the agency."