Interior gains new watchdog

Mark Lee Greenblatt, the newly minted inspector general at the Interior Department, is stepping into a big job. Interior has been swirling in controversy since the earliest days of the Trump administration. Former Secretary Ryan Zinke resigned late last year after being dogged by ethics complaints ranging from business ties with the companies he regulated to violating the Hatch Act by wearing “Make America Great Again” socks. But watchdog groups say ethical issues at the department have only grown more concerning with current Secretary David Bernhardt, a former oil and gas lobbyist, at the helm, and Greenblatt is taking over the Office of Inspector General (OIG) as it’s under increasing pressure to examine the actions of the department’s top leaders. Greenblatt, 45, is the first Senate-confirmed leader for Interior’s OIG since 2009. Three weeks into his new role, he told The Hill he had long been interested in serving at Interior. “Look at the panoply of issues that we’re facing as an office ... ranging from environmental issues, to oil and gas, to Native American tribes, all the way through to senior-level misconduct allegations and sexual harassment,” Greenblatt said last week. “You don’t see that frequently in the IG community.” It was that wide portfolio and the reputation of the team involved that attracted the Maryland native to the job, though conservation groups have been clear about where they think he should focus his attention. The office has acknowledged an investigation into high-level Interior officials for potential ethics violations, and numerous lawmakers and environmental groups have pushed OIG to review Interior’s new public records process, which allows political appointees to review Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests...MORE