Haaland last month. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
House Natural Resources Republicans are seeking Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s communications with her family in a new probe that delves into her proximity to her Native American tribe, the Pueblo of Laguna.
Why it matters: Haaland — the first Native American to lead the Interior Department — now faces GOP oversight on a topic especially close to home.
Driving the news: In a letter obtained by Axios sent today to Haaland and Interior’s ethics office director, Heather Gottry, Republicans said they are “concerned” about the secretary’s “compliance with ethical obligations” after she “purportedly met with” leaders of the Pueblo Action Alliance.
- The alliance is an environmental and social justice advocacy group that opposes what it calls "extractive colonialism."
- The letter claims Haaland was "evidently involved" with Pueblo Action Alliance, linking to a photo of her with members of the organization that was posted online.
- The letter requests all correspondence between Haaland and her child Somah Haaland, who uses “they/them” pronouns. Somah Haaland lists Pueblo Action Alliance in the bio of their Instagram account.
- The letter also asks for documents pertaining to Haaland’s conversations with her husband Skip Sayre, citing a recent disclosure form that stated he worked with business operations tied to the Pueblo of Laguna.
- The department declined to comment.
Between the lines: This request comes after Interior last week finalized a 20-year ban on new oil leasing near Chaco Culture National Historical Park, a sacred site in New Mexico.
- The letter doesn’t specifically reference the Chaco decision, but it cites Pueblo Action Alliance and other organizations' past lobbying in D.C. on federally protecting the site.
Of note: There’s an apparent carveout in at least one section of federal conflict-of-interest law for matters in which officials have “birthrights” in an “Indian tribe, band, [or] nation.”
