"U.S. Interior Chief Bernhardt Under Inspector General Probe"

"WASHINGTON - The U.S. Interior Department’s inspector general office has opened a probe into recently-confirmed Secretary David Bernhardt on several allegations, including conflict of interest, it said in a letter to lawmakers on Monday.

Mary Kendall, the Interior Department’s deputy inspector general, told Senator Ron Wyden in a letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, that it received seven complaints from a “wide assortment of complainants alleging various potential conflict of interest and other violations when he was deputy secretary of the department.”

Kendall said her office had opened an investigation and was continuing to gather information about the complaints. She did not detail the other complaints against Bernhardt, a Republican."

Timothy Gardner reports for Reuters April 15, 2019.

SEE ALSO:

"Interior Dept. Opens Ethics Investigation of Its New Chief, David Bernhardt" (New York Times)

"Interior’s Watchdog Opens An Ethics Probe Into Bernhardt Four Days After His Senate Confirmation" (Washington Post)

"Interior Watchdog Probes Agency’s Newly Confirmed Chief" (AP)

"Interior’s Watchdog Opens Investigations Into Bernhardt" (Politico)