The Department of Interior’s high watchdog introduced Monday that it didn’t discover any proof that Secretary David Bernhardt violated federal ethics guidelines.
The discovering was made by the Interior’s Office of Inspector General following accusations of potential conflicts of pursuits involving Bernhardt’s ties to industries he regulates.
The Investigation
The inspector basic began the investigation in February after receiving allegations of potential ethics violations. The watchdog appeared into if:
- Bernhardt took steps to assist former lobbying shoppers after he joined the administration
- Bernhardt used his official place for private achieve
- Bernhardt used inappropriate hiring practices to rent folks of a selected political occasion
- Bernhardt retaliated in opposition to staff who disagreed with him
Although the inspector basic “identified areas of concern”, it in the end determined that these points didn’t quantity to any federal ethics violations.
Bernhardt’s Response
In an announcement, a spokeswoman for the inside secretary stated:
“Secretary Bernhardt stays dedicated to finishing up the duties of his workplace in adherence to authorized and profession worker moral requirements”
She added the inspector basic’s ruling reaffirmed Bernhardt acted inside the legislation and adopted moral requirements always.
Opposition Reactions
Conservation teams and environmental organizations strongly against Bernhardt’s work as inside secretary ended their criticism and vowed to maintain working for “a more ethical government in the future.”
The Democratic majority of the House Natural Resources Committee additionally expressed its disappointment within the inspector basic’s findings and issued an announcement saying that Bernhardt has “failed to adhere to ethical standards of the office”.
Conclusion
The Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General investigation concluded that, after inspecting a wide range of allegations, Secretary David Bernhardt didn’t violate any federal ethics guidelines. Despite criticism from conservation teams and Democratic congressmen, the watchdog dominated that Bernhardt has not used his place for private achieve and has revered moral requirements always.