Watchdog report raises new questions for top Interior lawyer

A new report from the Interior Department’s watchdog reignites questions over the involvement of the agency's top lawyer in withholding public documents. The report could give ammunition to Democrats who have accused Interior Solicitor Daniel Jorjani of perjuring himself before lawmakers. The report from Interior’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) centers around the “awareness review” process at Interior that allowed political appointees to review Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests — something critics say gave Trump appointees undue influence over what records were released. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has already accused him of having “lied to the committee and perjured himself” when asked about his role in the process during his May confirmation hearing. Though Jorjani told lawmakers at the time that he “typically did not review records prior to their release under the FOIA,” he takes more responsibility for withholding the documents in the report. The investigation stemmed from FOIA litigation in early 2019. Interior withheld 253 pages of records they were required to produce under a court order in the suit shortly after now Secretary David Bernhardt was nominated to his post...MORE