WASHINGTON — The inspector basic for the Inside Division mentioned on Thursday it had discovered no proof that the previous secretary, David Bernhardt, violated federal ethics or conflict-of-interest guidelines when the division made selections that affected one in all his former purchasers, a California water district.
The Inside Division beneath Mr. Bernhardt made selections that benefited Westlands Water District, which represents California farmers, together with a deal to grant federal water rights in perpetuity to a big agricultural district. Earlier than becoming a member of the Trump administration, Mr. Bernhardt spent 10 years because the group’s chief lobbyist.
In a report issued Thursday, investigators mentioned proof didn’t help allegations that Mr. Bernhardt withheld info, labored on points that offered a battle, or sought to assist his former shopper.
“We additionally recognized no proof exhibiting that Mr. Bernhardt’s actions had been in any other case illegal or improper,” the report discovered. To the extent that Mr. Bernhardt gave “instructions, steerage or recommendation” concerning the California water selections, “his actions concerned coverage selections that had been inside Mr. Bernhardt’s official discretion,” it mentioned.
Mr. Bernhardt declined to take part in interviews with investigators, the report mentioned.
Danny Onoranto, an lawyer representing Mr. Bernhardt, mentioned in a press release that the inspector basic’s report “utterly vindicates” the previous secretary.
“The report confirms that the allegations towards Secretary Bernhardt had been meritless and that he absolutely complied with all his moral and authorized obligations from Day One among his time period of public service,” Mr. Onoranto mentioned.
Mr. Bernhardt deregistered as a lobbyist for Westlands in November 2016 and joined the Trump administration as deputy secretary of Inside in August 2017 earlier than turning into secretary two years later.
In Could, the Inside Division’s inspector basic additionally cleared Mr. Bernhardt of a associated accusation that he had violated lobbying legal guidelines in the identical case.
Cole Rojewski, who served as chief of workers on the Inside Division within the Trump administration, mentioned the experiences confirmed that the accusations towards Mr. Bernhardt had been “baseless” and unsubstantiated.
“David Bernhardt is likely one of the most law-abiding, ethically-sound individuals I do know, and these continued experiences present he has all the time adopted the letter of the legislation,” Mr. Rojewski mentioned in a press release. “Those that spent years attacking his character owe him an apology.”
Mr. Bernhardt’s critics mentioned they weren’t stunned and likewise not glad with the findings, and maintained that the previous secretary was cleared on technical factors. The investigation discovered that as a result of Mr. Bernhardt intervened on a number of water districts and never simply Westlands, his actions didn’t violate guidelines that forestall federal appointees from engaged on “specific” issues involving former employers or purchasers.
“He’s a sensible lawyer,” mentioned Consultant Jared Huffman, a California Democrat who has requested federal investigations of Mr. Bernhardt. “He is aware of the right way to have interaction the place he has a patina of authorized cowl and the right way to hold himself out of bother. It doesn’t imply that there’s not a foul scent to his involvement in these points that so immediately benefited his former shopper.”
In 2021 a federal choose declined to validate the water deal. Representatives for Westlands Water District couldn’t be reached for remark, however the group has prior to now disputed allegations that it obtained particular remedy.
“The suggestion that the everlasting nature of the proposed Westlands compensation contract makes it an ‘unusually whole lot’ is solely false,” the district wrote in a truth sheet in regards to the deal in 2020.
