IG reviewing Sweeney’s role in tribe relief

      Responding to a request from Democratic lawmakers, the Inspector General of the Interior Dept. is investigating whether a senior official acted improperly in relation to distribution of $8 billion in coronavirus relief funds designated for tribal governments by Congress in the CARES Act.

      The IG is reviewing the actions by Tara Sweeney, assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, and other top officials to determine if there was adherence to ethics rules, regulations and pledges.

      Several tribal governments are challenging in court the Treasury Dept.’s decision to allow for-profit Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) to receive a portion of the funds.

      Treasury officials consulted with Sweeney on that decision, and Sweeney allegedly “recommended a dubious interpretation of the CARES Act language that would make ANCs eligible,” Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-AZ, chair of the House Resources Committee, and other lawmakers wrote in a letter to the IG requesting the investigation.

      Concerns have been raised about Sweeney’s potential conflict of interest because she is a current shareholder in the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, which is an ANC, and she previously served as its executive vice president for external affairs.

      “Her active financial interest in Arctic Slope raises questions about whether her involvement in determining ANCs would be eligible for CARES Act funding specifically intended for federally recognized tribal governments violated ethics rules and/or pledges,” the lawmakers letter stated.

      The lawmakers also claimed that the Interior Dept. released sensitive data from tribal governments’ CARES Act applications in an improper manner.

      In court, a federal judge agreed with the tribal governments’ interpretation of the law and temporarily prevented the CARES Act money from going to the for-profit corporations. Some of the money remains frozen pending resolution of the legal actions.

More information:
Letter to IG: https://bit.ly/2XkW8yt

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