Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland and Designated Agency Ethics Official Heather Gottry. The letter continues the committee’s oversight of Secretary Haaland's potential conflicts of interest regarding Somah Haaland's involvement with the Pueblo Action Alliance (PAA) and the organization’s advocacy before DOI. In part, the members wrote:

"The Committee is deeply interested in how DOI will implement the Final Rule, given the ethical concerns surrounding Secretary Haaland’s close relationship with radical environmental groups like the Pueblo Action Alliance, which employs Secretary Haaland’s adult child, Somah Haaland. In fact, on June 5, 2023, the Committee sent a letter spotlighting the conflict created by Somah Haaland, given the activist group’s close relationship with key DOI employees, including the Secretary, and subsequent potential influence over DOI policies."

Read the full letter here.

Background

The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) issued updated guidance to a final rule that will take effect on Aug. 15, 2024. The guidance removes the qualifier "dependent" before “child,” expanding the scope of relationships that trigger conflict of interest concerns and require recusal by the federal official. The final rule reads, "For purposes of the impartiality provisions, an employee will have a covered relationship with persons for whom any of their children are, to the employee’s knowledge, serving or seeking to serve as an officer, director, trustee, general partner, agent, attorney, consultant, contractor, or employee."

The committee is conducting ongoing oversight of Secretary Haaland given Somah Haaland's relationship with the PAA, the organization’s direct lobbying of DOI, and Secretary Haaland’s direct engagement with the group during her tenure. Read the committee's initial letter here.