WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has entered a rags-to-riches marriage and a federal watchdog wants to know more.
As previously reported in Politico Pro, prior to marrying Skip Sayre, Secretary Haaland reported an estimated zero net worth, but after her wedding, federal financial disclosures show a stunning increase of up to $2.125 million, plus the value of two personal residences now owned by Haaland and Sayre, neither of which was apparent on previous disclosures.
Sayre is the former chief of sales and marketing for the Laguna Development Corporation, a Native American operator of three casinos and two travel centers, according to Sayre’s Facebook page.
The U.S. Department of Interior was sued on April 14 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after there was no production of documents in response to Protect the Public's Trust (PPT)’s Sept. 2, 2021 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking information about wedding gifts and attendees.
“While we congratulate Secretary Haaland and wish her a long and happy marriage, as a cabinet official, participation in a large event that customarily includes gifts and may have involved the use of official resources is more than a purely private affair,” wrote Gary M. Lawkowski, an attorney with the Dhillon Law Group in Arlington, Virginia in PPT’s complaint.
“The release of these documents is in the public interest because they will help the public understand whether any prohibited sources attended the wedding, whether Secretary Haaland received any gifts from prohibited sources or other persons directly or indirectly impacted by the performance of her official duties, whether any official resources were used to support the event, and how Secretary Haaland and the Department sought to comply with relevant ethical obligations.”
Haaland received a few wedding gifts that were reported as two silver-turquoise bracelets and a piece of pottery worth $700, according to Haaland’s Form 278e, which is her 2022 annual financial disclosure.
“There are restrictions on gifts that political appointees and cabinet members are able to accept and with good reason because giving a gift is an opportunity for an entity that may have business before the department or may be subject to oversight or may apply for grants from an agency to potentially unduly influence a high-level government official,” said Michael Chamberlain, director of PPT.
During her confirmation hearing after being appointed by President Biden, it was widely reported that Haaland had failed to report $18,000 in casino income on House ethics reports when she was a member of Congress representing New Mexico. She engaged in a congressional campaign with little to no reported assets or income, according to a PPT press release.
Although all members of Congress are paid an annual salary of $174,000, records show that Haaland had no bank account or accumulated assets
“The reporting limits for a bank account is $5,000 and apparently after two years of working in Congress and earning $174,000 per year, according to her reporting, she didn't have a bank account with over $5,000 in it,” Chamberlain added.