Non-profit watchdog Protect the Public's Trust (PPT) has filed two federal lawsuits against the Biden administration, accusing it of violating federal law by not sharing communications involving Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter.
The lawsuits, filed against the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), seek to compel the two agencies to comply with PPT's information requests.
PPT filed the requests under the Freedom of Information Act, which requires the federal government to publicly share certain documents, communications, and information. The recommendations were made after a Fox News Digital report revealed that Somah Haaland, the daughter of Interior Secretary Haaland, had lobbied federal lawmakers on oil and gas leasing issues.
PPT Director Michael Chamberlain stated, "Her daughter's activism and lobbying efforts certainly have the potential to create the perception in the minds of the public that Secretary Haaland could be conflicted on issues under her authority," adding that "Taken together, this need is magnified."
In December 2021, Somah Haaland traveled to Washington, D.C., with fellow climate activists to lobby lawmakers and federal officials to block fossil fuel drilling near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. The activists also screened a film narrated by Somah Haaland showcasing the threats posed by oil and gas leasing in the region.
PPT's information request sought all communications about the film between Somah Haaland and seven DOI officials, including her mother, and two BLM officials, including the agency's director Tracy Stone-Manning. According to PPT, the DOI and BLM have not produced the requested information and likely do not intend to meet their statutory FOIA obligations.
Following the revelations about Somah Haaland's activism, the Western Energy Alliance, a sizeable Denver-based energy industry group, asked House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., to investigate the interior secretary's apparent ethics violations.
Secretary Haaland is scheduled to testify before the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday. The DOI declined to comment on PPT's lawsuits.
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