California congressman’s Yosemite trip won’t be investigated by Interior inspector general
The top ethics official at the Department of Interior is declining to pursue an investigation into California Democratic Rep. TJ Cox’s push to get two car tickets into Yosemite National Park on July 4 outside of the daily lottery system the park is using to release vehicle passes during the coronavirus outbreak..
Cox’s staff was told by National Park Service officials that he would have to apply for tickets through the lottery system if he wanted personal tickets into Yosemite on Independence Day
Cox then called Yosemite officials, telling them he needed the tickets in order to shoot a video that promoted the Great American Outdoors Act, and was granted the tickets.
Cox was a co-sponsor of the law, signed by President Donald Trump last week, which provided more money to national parks to work on deferred maintenance projects.
Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Arizona, then wrote to Department of Interior ethics officials last week, asking them to look into Cox’s actions and determine if Cox had acted improperly. He asked them to provide any National Park Service records of employees taking Cox on a tour of the park, or any other evidence that Cox’s visit to Yosemite was not a personal one.
In a letter to Gosar on Friday, Inspector General Mark Lee Greenblatt said he did not find any records that were “responsive” to Gosar’s request. He did not indicate that he was pursuing the matter any further.
“I intend to convey to (Department of Interior) Secretary (David) Bernhardt our advice that the Department should consider disseminating clear guidance to National Park Service staff regarding the disbursement of limited tickets and passes to elected officials,” Greenblatt added, directing Gosar to contact him if Gosar had further questions.
Cox’s congressional office also shared with McClatchy a video Cox appeared to have shot on July 4 from inside the park. The video from Yosemite was sent to Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, a group supporting the Great American Outdoors Act, and they posted clips of it on their Instagram on July 15.
The full video is one minute and 44 seconds, and appears to be Cox filming himself while hiking through Yosemite.
“Just finishing up a little bit of a day hike here on the Fourth of July weekend,” Cox says in the video, before explaining why the Great American Outdoors Act is important to the park.
Cox’s campaign characterized Gosar’s and National Park Service officials’ description of his visit to Yosemite as an “unwarranted and baseless attack” that “is clearly political retribution by President Trump and his Republican allies.” Internal emails among National Park Service officials had depicted Yosemite officials asking for ethics guidance after Cox scheduled a call with them.
Cox’s campaign in the statement said his visit was “entirely proper.”
“TJ Cox went to Yosemite National Park in accordance with proper procedure and protocols,” the campaign said. “It is troubling that politically-appointed staffers at the Department of Interior, in collaboration with a Republican Congressman, would attempt a politically-driven, covert investigation into the travel of Congressman Cox and his family.”
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 5:05 AM with the headline "California congressman’s Yosemite trip won’t be investigated by Interior inspector general."
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