The criminal appeal says David Bernhardt sought approval for the project from developer Michael Ingram, a Republican donor and supporter of former President Donald Trump, though a federal wildlife official believes it was poses a threat to species in the form of extinction.
Bernhardt headed the Ministry of the Interior from 2019 to 2021. In 2017 he was the department’s 2nd official when the Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior, changed its opposition to Vinito Villages, proposing construction of 28,000 homes in the south. Arizona and allowed him to move forward.
Democratic Congressman Raul Grizhalva of Arizona, chair of the committee, and Katie Porter of California, who chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland. They said the committee conducted a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the decision in 2017.
A senior domestic official said the issuance of the Clean Water Act permit for the project could negatively affect endangered species or critical habitats in this part of the country. The region is home to birds such as the southwestern willow fly and yellow-skinned cuckoo, as well as the northern Mexican snake.
Democrats said Ingram met with Bernhard in August 2017, two weeks before a fisheries and wildlife official received a phone call urging him to reverse the decision to block the project. The meeting was not disclosed in Bernhardt’s public calendar or travel documents.
Two months later, Ingram made a $ 10,000 donation to the Trump Victory Fund. The authorization is approved at the end of the same month. At least nine other Ingram-related donors also donated to the Donald Trump Victory Fund within days of Ingram’s donation, Democrats said.
Evidence strongly suggests the decision was the result of a disagreement between Vineyard developer Michael Ingram and senior Trump administration officials, including Bernhardt, the then deputy secretary of state, Democrats wrote.
Democrats say Ingram “often had access to senior officials in the Trump administration,” along with Bernhardt, then Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, and then head of the Environment Agency Scott Prut. Zinke, who headed the interior from March 2017 to January 2019, met Ingram in May 2017 and April 2018, Democrats said in documents submitted along with the adjournment. Democrats say Zinke and his staff have emailed Ingram several times, using personal email addresses.
Bernhardt, who is now a lawyer in private practice, called the Democratic letter a “pathetic attempt by career politicians to fake the news.”
A spokesman for the Department of Justice said the department has received the letter and is reviewing it.
Lawmakers asked Garland to investigate and consider prosecuting Bernhardt or other officials.
“The results of this survey show again that the previous administration ignored the experience of career personnel before giving federal agency decisions to Trump’s friends and major donors based on salary,” Grijalva said. on a note.
“Exchanging money for specific government actions is the most obvious form of corruption there is and Americans – Democrats, Republicans and independents – share the knowledge that such actions destroy our democracy. , ”Porter said.
Lanny Davis, an attorney at El Dorado Holdings that owns Ingram, called Grijalwa and Porter’s appeal “false, misleading (and) unfair” and said he used “Innundo as a substitute for facts.”
El Dorado has participated in numerous meetings with the committee, “acting with full transparency and full cooperation without being summoned,” Davis said in a statement. However, the company was denied the opportunity to deny the allegations in the referral or even talk to Grijalva, Davis said.
“Unfortunately, Americans are stunned and used to political attacks that have little to do with reality and require two-party anger when it happens,” said Davis, a prominent Democrat who is a former special adviser. President Bill. Clinton. .
Jennifer Rocala, executive director of the Center’s Western priorities, called the allegations against Bernhardt “extremely serious” and added that the Justice Department should launch a full investigation.
“We always say that David Bernhardt is too compromised and corrupt to be cabinet secretary.” It’s shameful proof that the advantage directly benefits the game, “he said.
Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.
Source: Huffpost
