US·United States·Democratic

Deb Haaland

challenger

active

Former United States Secretary of the Interior, leading in polls for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

LINKED SCANDALS

LEGAL EVENTS

RESEARCH

8 days ago

SANCTIONS

CLEAR

Deep research · Exaupdated 8 days ago

Deb Haaland has faced several ethical complaints and controversies during her political career, though she has not been charged with or convicted of criminal activity. In 2014, while running for lieutenant governor, Haaland and gubernatorial candidate Gary King flew on a private jet arranged by Jeffrey Epstein. Her campaign stated she had no prior knowledge of the flight's association with Epstein. Ethics complaints filed against her include: A 2022 complaint alleging a Hatch Act violation for endorsing a partisan candidate. A 2022 complaint alleging failure to properly report financial assets. A 2023 complaint regarding her impartiality in oil and gas leasing near Chaco Canyon, citing her daughter’s employment with an activist group that lobbied on the issue. Haaland determined her participation would not raise questions about her impartiality. During her 2021 confirmation process, she disclosed a belated 2018 tax return and provided multiple, varying accounts of her income for that year to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Citations

Deb Haaland rode on jet chartered by Epstein in 2014 for running mate Gary King

www.abqjournal.com · 2026-02-18

Deb Haaland took flight with Gary King on Epstein-arranged jet

www.koat.com · 2026-02-18

Deb Haaland’s campaign under fire for doxing Sam Bregman and raising ethics concerns in New Mexico governor race

www.abqjournal.com · 2026-04-21

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL TO: Honorable Mark Lee Greenblatt Inspector General U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General 1849 C Street NW – Mail Stop 4428 Washington, D.C. 20240 Re: Secretary Haaland’s Apparent Ethical Breaches in the Greater Chaco Area Oil and Gas Leases Decision Dear Inspector General Greenblatt, We write to request an investigation into apparent ethics violations by Secretary of the Department of the Interior Deb Haaland related to oil and gas leasing near Chaco Canyon National Historic Park, the film Our Story: The Indigenous Led Fight to Protect Greater Chaco, and her own public statements. Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethics in government and restoring the public’s trust in government officials. On June 2, 2023, Secretary Haaland withdrew public lands from future fuel leases within the Greater Chaco area. Somah Haaland, Secretary Haaland’s child, is a prominent member of an activist organization that lobbied federal officials seeking to restrict oil and gas leasing in the area. Somah Haaland narrated a film opposing oil and gas development in the region, a film in which Deb Haaland participated prior to her nomination to be Interior Secretary. During the film, and elsewhere, Ms. Haaland made public statements opposing oil and gas development in this area. Given her past statements, participation in this film, and her child’s active role in lobbying against oil and gas development in the region, reasonable observers could question Secretary Haaland’s impartiality in the matter. In fact, not only could reasonable observers question Secretary Haaland’s impartiality in the matter, we submit that observers knowledgeable about the issue from nearly every angle have already questioned her impartiality. This behavior evinces a failure to fully consider and live up to Secretary Haaland’s ethical obligations as a senior government official in a position of public trust. Accordingly, these actions should be investigated as soon as possible.

protectpublicstrust.org

Haaland Unilaterally Waived Ethics Concerns Over Chaco Canyon

thefederalist.com · 2024-02-26

Interior nominee discloses belated tax filing, provides fourth account of her 2018 income | Just The News