Lawmakers Investigate Interior Secretary Haaland’s Ties to Far-Left Organizations
Lawmakers are delving deeper into Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s connections to far-left organizations and causes.
A House committee has reached out to the Pueblo Action Alliance (PAA), a group that opposes hydrocarbon development near Chaco Canyon National Historical Park. Interestingly, the organization has employed Ms. Haaland’s non-binary daughter, Somah Haaland.
The committee’s investigation focuses on potential conflicts of interest between the PAA and Secretary Haaland. Additionally, lawmakers are examining her affiliations with the Venceremos Brigade, a group that sends young activists to Communist Cuba in solidarity with its revolution.
In a blog post titled “Solidarity with Cuba,” the PAA documented a trip to Cuba in 2019 with members of the Brigade. The committee is seeking information on who from the PAA participated in the trip, as well as any PAA-related documents involving Cuba or other foreign entities.
Cuban President Fidel Castro speaking from a podium to the people of Camaguey, Cuba, about the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution three days before against the forces of dictator Fulgencio Batista, on Jan. 4, 1959. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The lawmakers have set a deadline of Nov. 21, which is less than three weeks away.
“PAA frequently highlights their close relationship with Secretary Haaland,” wrote committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), and other lawmakers. As evidence, they referenced a PAA Instagram post from early January 2021 featuring Ms. Haaland with a caption that began, “Greetings, relatives.” It is worth noting that the interior secretary is a member of the Laguna Pueblo nation.
In a July 2020 Facebook post, the PAA praised Somah Haaland as “a huge help and vital person in our mutual aid efforts.” Furthermore, she represented the PAA in Congress in December 2022 to oppose oil and gas drilling near Chaco Canyon.
In November 2021, Secretary Haaland and other members of the Biden administration announced their intention to consider a twenty-year ban on drilling on public lands within a ten-mile radius of the canyon. This decision faced opposition from Navajo Nation leaders who have oil and gas allotments in that area.
Great Kiva Plaza of the Chaco Canyon. (Saravask via wikimedia commons)
During climate protests in Washington in October 2021, in which the PAA participated, Somah Haaland shared Instagram posts featuring a defaced statue of Andrew Jackson with the words “Expect Us” in red graffiti.
The Federalist obtained footage from the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) that appears to show Somah Haaland participating in a protest that stormed the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Other protests during that week included a breach of the Interior Department resulting in multiple injuries.
Climate activists at a protest on Capitol Hill, Washington, on Oct. 15, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
The House Natural Resources Committee sent a letter on Nov. 2 to Julia Bernal, the executive director of the PAA, as part of their ongoing inquiry into Secretary Haaland’s connections to the organization.
In addition to collaborating with the Venceremos Brigade, the PAA’s webpage on “local solidarity” associates it with the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, which aims for the total liberation and unification of the African continent under scientific socialism.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the PAA for comment.
Do the connections between Secretary Haaland and the PAA raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest
Area.
The committee’s investigation is seeking information on whether Secretary Haaland used her position to influence the PAA’s advocacy against hydrocarbon development near Chaco Canyon and if she played a role in the organization’s trip to Cuba with the Venceremos Brigade.
Lawmakers argue that these connections raise concerns about potential conflicts of interest and whether Secretary Haaland is using her position to advance her personal agenda rather than serving the
