Biden admin hit with lawsuits for hiding communications involving Cabinet secretary's daughter
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
EXCLUSIVE: A watchdog group filed two federal lawsuits against the Biden administration Monday, alleging it has violated federal law by not sharing communications involving Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter.
Protect the Public's Trust (PPT), a non-profit watchdog organization, asked a federal court in the lawsuits — one filed against the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the other filed against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — to compel the two agencies to comply with its information requests. On Jan. 2, PPT filed information requests with the DOI and BLM, asking for communications with Haaland's daughter Somah and top agency officials.
The information requests, filed under the Freedom of Information Act which requires the federal government to publicly share certain documents, communications and information with the public, came after a Fox News Digital report revealed Somah Haaland had lobbied federal lawmakers on hot-button oil and gas leasing issues over which her mother has oversight.
"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," PPT Director Michael Chamberlain told Fox News Digital. "Further complicating matters is the participation of an organization that claims Somah Haaland among its leadership in the protest that turned into a riot at the Interior headquarters."
Somah Haaland, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter, speaks during a virtual event hosted by the The Wilderness Society in October.(The Wilderness Society/YouTube/Video screenshot)
"Each of these items alone would point to the need for DOI to provide more transparency into any relationships and interactions between Somah Haaland and senior Department officials," Chamberlain added. "Taken together, this need is magnified."
In December, Fox News Digital reported that Somah Haaland, who is a media organizer for the Pueblo Action Alliance (PAA), a New Mexico-based cultural and environmental group, traveled to Washington, D.C., with a group of fellow climate activists to ask lawmakers and federal officials to block fossil fuel drilling near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico.
In addition to lobbying lawmakers, the activists screened a film narrated by Somah Haaland that "showcases the threats" posed by oil and gas leasing in the region. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., attended the screening along with "agency officials."
PPT's information request in early January requested 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. In the group's lawsuit Monday, it said both the DOI and BLM have still not produced the requested information and likely don't intend to meet their statutory FOIA obligations.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks during a news conference on July 22, 2021, in Denver.(AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
"The Biden Administration promised a return to normalcy but the ties of Interior leaders to activist organizations that sometimes employ controversial tactics represents anything but a return to normalcy," Chamberlain said.
In 2021, the PAA was involved in a violent protest in which climate activists stormed and attempted to breach the DOI's headquarters in Washington, D.C. And PAA Executive Director Julia Bernal boasted in an interview that same year that she met personally with Secretary Haaland, who she referenced as "Auntie Deb," to speak about water policy issues and the group's opposition to oil and gas leasing.
Following the recent revelations about Somah Haaland's activism, the Western Energy Alliance, a large Denver-based energy industry group, asked House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., in March to open an investigation into the interior secretary's apparent ethics violations. A spokesperson for Westerman said the congressman received the request and was reviewing potential next steps.
Secretary Haaland, meanwhile, is slated to testify before the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday.
The DOI declined to comment on PPT's lawsuits.
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Another historic moment?
... another weak attempt at a false equivalency? swing and a miss...
Another question that you can't answer.
Those who could left a while ago.
LMAO, true statement.
Both were firsts...were they not?
sorry, not the FOX news I'll be looking forward to this week...
You are out of luck. Both sides may settle.
why would dominion settle? you like the ponies. FOX has a 3 legged horse in that race. with the available evidence already disclosed and FOX's pretrial conduct so far, would you settle? cha-ching.
So, I can only see one that you are attempting to ridicule - what's the other one?
They already have!
Read:
Deb Haaland being sworn in as Secretary of the Interior is a historic moment. Seems that the Republicans are pissed that she has halted oil exploration on some federal lands.
It is also historic that she followed a Secretary of the Interior that was forced to resign (Zinke) that was non-indigenous.
That was my point.
Thanks for making it. Have a good one.
It is also historic that she followed a Secretary of the Interior that was forced to resign (Zinke) that was non-indigenous.
Aw...Gee...But unlike Zinke, she was the first to represent a special group and I think she may have brought shame to them. What say you?
Haaland represented Americans that would include even you and it is a sad assumption on your part that she brought shame on them, and why in the world do you even think that, that surely seems like a bigoted opinion.
Here is why:
that surely seems like a bigoted opinion.
Your comments seem to be bigoted.
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Are you serious!!! what in the world makes you think that brought shame on anyone?
I suppose in your mind it would but that is the point of my comment.
Failure to stand up for what is right for Native Americans and others as well. She doesn't have to be a lap dog for Biden.
I suppose in your mind it would but that is the point of my comment.
In the mind of any rational human being.
Her job is to stand up for all Americans, in the simplest of minds all NAs are supposed to think alike in the real world we like all other people have different opinions. The Navajo didn't want the decision but many other tribes did.
LOL, another bias opinion.
Zinke only represented himself and corporate interests.
Uhhhh - Deb served with a special group and she brought shame to them???
Who and how?
Ooohhhh - you must have meant her daughter since that is what this thread/seed/article is about - and NOT DEB.
Vic - obviously, after reading your additional links, it is very simply plain that the NEPA process hasn't been/isn't being followed with the consultation/mitigation phases. I've not seen the proposals put forward in the Fed Register nor in the NARF discussions, so, it appears many things have slipped through the cracks.
However, but - none of your targeted comments are related to the article/thread/seed. Got any or are you after a specific tasking of ridiculing Deb/DOI/Feds?
Correct - she doesn't have to be anyone's lap-dog - wanna get back on topic?
When you return you can start here with Luke Duncan's complaint:
And the facts of law are -
The Interior Department defended the order, saying it “ does not impact existing ongoing operations under valid leases .”
“In addition, any actions necessary in the event of an incident that might pose a threat to human health, welfare, or safety will continue,” the statement added.
Appears the Chair jumped the gun.
I see.
The problem with her is she is incompetent
Twitter, an excellent source. /s
And questions by Ryan Zinke, who resigned under clouds of suspicion of misusing the office of DOI.
"Biden Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is left completely and totally dumbstruck after being asked a series of simple questions on China"
Sorry Sean - BS analogy - China's environmental issues ARE NOT within Deb's AOR. And, you're using the RNC Research "engine" - from Twitter - as your source????
Being marginally informed on energy issues is in fact within her purview. I would expect more informed responses from a college sophomore.
to view this is as an anything other than a catastrophic look for her is impossible.
the fact that her defenders have to deflect to complaining about using footage from her testimony as a source is all that really needs to be said. If her testimony wasn’t disastrous, you’d be able to defend the actual contents of what she said, rather than bitching that her testimony was published online.
Only in your eyes, Sean.
The questioning started over copper/nickel mine in one of the most pristine wilderness areas and the most visited in the US, ''The Boundry Waters'' of northern Minnesota. The proposed mine is in the watershed of Boundry Waters and owned by the Chilean-mining conglomerate Antofagasta.
This is much like the foreign company trying to develop a copper mine in AZ which would destroy pristine areas in AZ.
The Biden administration imposed a 20-year moratorium on mining in the Boundry Waters area.
1st, if "we" had to defend what Deb said in this thread/seed/article, we'd already be off topic - which appears to be a normal function lately.
2nd, using a "Twitter" account from the RNC Research written by Zinke is just purely pissing in your boots. You prefer to use "testimony" from a "banished" DOI person whose testimony, while in DOI, left much to be desired in the avenues/realm of truth/facts.
Now, how 'bout discussing how Somah is impacting the environmental concerns?
You bring up complaints about Twitter, the RNC and Zinke while ignoring Haaland's ignorance and are worried about being on topic?
None of that explains why she is flummoxed by basic questions.
Zinke asked her simple questions and she, to put it charitably, froze. Scary to think she has a say in policy.
A lot of things are scary, guess you'll have to deal with it or continue whining.
As are some Native Americans.
You do realize that Native Americans belong to both parties, right? So it would make sense to most that some NA's would be upset and some not.