Protect the Public’s Trust, a watchdog group says that Biden appointee Deputy Solicitor for Water Resources Daniel Cordalis, rescinded a memo that benefitted an ex-client for whom his wife still works to benefit the Northern California-based Yurok Tribe.
The memo was written by non-political officials and would have reduced revenue for the Central Valley Project Improvement (CVPIA), which has already given 30,8 million to the tribe since 2013.
By rescinding the memo, the Yurok tribe is now eligible to receive more taxpayer money.
Fortunately for Cordalis, he is a Democrat because his actions would be criminal if he was a Republican and could send him to prison.
This move by Cordalis would benefit the Yuroks and since he was paid by the tribe and in fact, his wife still earns a paycheck from them, makes his actions suspect at a minimum and shows a criminal action at worst. (But only if he was a Republican, of course)
Protect the Public Trust director Michael Chamberlain told the Daily Caller News Foundation:
“With the January memo, it’s possible that some of that funding could be reduced. So the tribe, as it’s spelled out in our complaint, has a definite financial interest in the policy discussed in the memo.”
“The American public has every right to demand that high-ranking federal officials act in the best interests of the public, not the interests of former employers and clients or their spouse’s employers. The Biden Administration promised ‘the most ethically vigorous administration in history.’ At what point does Secretary [Deb] Haaland begin holding her staff to that high standard? Unfortunately, with multiple reports of misconduct among Interior appointees under review, the public is wondering whether there is a ‘culture of conflicts’ among current DOI leadership.”
Cordalis’ effort to rescind the memo has not escaped the sight of the GOP in Congress, on the House Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, the ranking member of the committee, and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona sent a letter to Cordalis asking for documentation surrounding the decision to rescind the memo.
Westerman and Gosar wrote in their letter:
“As Deputy Solicitor for Water Resources, Mr. Cordalis is subject to President Biden’s ethics standards. Therefore, for two years, Mr. Cordalis is prohibited from participating in ‘any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to [his] former employer or former clients, including regulations and contracts. The financial implications of his June 11, 2021 memorandum, particularly for the Yurok Tribe, call Mr. Cordalis’ compliance with President Biden’s standards into question.”
