The Department of Interior Inspector General determined that department personnel, including its Solicitor, hid documents and lied in testimony to Congressional committees during Secretary David Bernhardt’s Senate confirmation hearing, prompting calls from Democrats for a special investigation into the department, HuffPost reports.
Due out Tuesday, a report from the department’s Office of the Inspector General outlined a controversial department policy allowing political nominees to review Freedom of Information Act Requests and withhold some documents as they see fit.
The report details that in February 2019, then-counselor to the secretary Hubbel Relat instructed staff, including members of the Solicitor’s office, to withhold certain documents, including communications to and from Bernhardt, from release pursuant to FOIA requests.
Daniel Jorjani, the Interior Department Solicitor, then testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that he does not review documents to be released for FOIA requests.
However, documents released after Bernhardt’s confirmation show Jorjani in fact often reviewed FOIA requests and associated documents, and knew about the department’s “heightened awareness” policy to prevent the release of documents pertaining to political appointees.
A former Koch Brothers advisor, Jorjani has told employees that his office’s “job is to protect the secretary” not necessary comply with the law or Congressional orders.
Jorjani and Relat previously worked together at Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, a now-defunct Koch brothers-backed nonprofit.