Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
House Republicans are out with a fresh ethics inquiry into the Interior Department.
Why it matters: Interior has had intense political scrutiny from Republicans this Congress. Now they're trying to find ammunition for their running investigation of Secretary Deb Haaland.
Driving the news: House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman wants documents and information on how the agency's implementing new federal ethics guidance, per a letter obtained by Axios.
- The letter points to a change that reflects possible impartiality concerns stemming from the adult children of federal employees.
- The committee has focused for more than a year now on Deb Haaland's child, Somah, and the work they have done for the environmental organization Pueblo Action Alliance.
- "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," Westerman and Rep. Paul Gosar wrote.
Interior declined to comment on the letter.
Reality check: Ethics experts have told us these allegations about the Pueblo Action Alliance have little merit.
- But Westerman has been issuing a lot of subpoena threats lately, so this probe could eventually boil over into the elections and beyond.
