Watchdog Pushes Back On House Democrats’ Call For Interior Ethics Probe
- October 21, 2025
Staff, Off the Press
A government watchdog group is urging the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) to dismiss a request from House Natural Resources Committee Democrats for an investigation into a senior official at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
In a letter to Acting Inspector General Caryl Brzymialkiewicz, Protect the Public’s Trust Director Michael Chamberlain argued that allegations against BOEM Principal Deputy Director Matt Giacona are based on misinterpretations of ethics rules and prior guidance from the department’s ethics office.
The Democratic lawmakers’ October 8 letter, citing reporting by journalists Jimmy Tobias and Chris D’Angelo, alleged that Giacona may have violated recusal obligations stemming from his prior work at the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), a trade group representing offshore energy companies.