FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 10, 2019
DENVER—The Interior Department Inspector General today released a report that found Douglas Domenech, Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs, violated federal ethics regulations when he twice met with his former employer, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF).
In the meetings, TPPF, Domenech, and senior Interior officials discussed two lawsuits the organization had filed against the Interior Department over an endangered species listing and a private property dispute near the Red River. Shortly after the meetings, the Interior Department settled the Red River lawsuit, which TPPF celebrated as a “major win for private property rights.”
Similarly, in emails following the meetings, Domenech told TPPF’s top lawyer to “keep fighting” with litigation to remove the Bone Cave harvestman, a spider found in Texas, from the Endangered Species List. In October 2019, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would review whether to delist the Bone Cave harvestman after finding such an action may be warranted.
The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:
“This report lays bare the culture of corruption at Interior, and confirms the department doesn’t give a damn about ethics rules. Just months after joining the Trump administration, Doug Domenech ushered in his former employer and secured a ‘major win’ for them.
“Interior Secretary Bernhardt has known about Domenech’s ethics violations for months, but Domenech is still on the job. Clearly there are no consequences for helping former employers get what they want, because that is the example Bernhardt sets across the entire agency.”
At least five other political appointees at Interior remain under investigation by the Office of Inspector General, including Interior Solicitor Daniel Jorjani, who oversees the Interior ethics office.