Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Blake Moore (R-Utah) sent a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Janea Scott and DOI Director and Designated Agency Ethics Official Heather Gottry, requesting ethics information regarding Scott's professional background. In part, the members wrote: 

"Senior leaders at federal agencies are responsible for fostering cultures of ethical conduct. Employees unable to act impartially are not qualified to perform their role in government. To ensure appropriate conduct, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) issues ethical standards by which all executive branch employees must abide. OGE standards require employees to 'place loyalty to the Constitution, the laws, and ethical principles above private gain' and 'act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual.' Transparency is key to ensuring federal employees’ compliance with OGE’s standards...

"Subsequent to the hearing, questions submitted for the record repeated the request for Ms. Scott’s recusal list. Several months later, Ms. Scott continues to fail to produce her recusal list."