Interior secretary daughter's group tied to protest at Interior headquarters that turned violent

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An environmental group that Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter belongs to is a steering committee member of a coalition that was involved in a protest at the Department of the Interior (DOI) headquarters in late 2021 that turned violent.

The top Biden official's daughter Somah Haaland is a media organizer for the New Mexico-based Pueblo Action Alliance (PAA) which has repeatedly called on the federal government to take drastic measures halting oil and gas development on public lands. PAA is a lead member of the eco coalition named People vs. Fossil Fuels that was involved in the violent October 2021 protest, according to internal DOI emails obtained by government watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT). 

"On October 14, a group of approximately 100 demonstrators representing a group called 'People vs. Fossil Fuels' gathered at the U.S. Department of the Interior Main Interior Building (MIB) entrance at 1849 C Street, NW from a previously held demonstration at Lafayette Park near the White House," Bryan Green, a DOI Office of Emergency Management official, said in an internal email to staff that day.

"A contingent of the demonstrators entered the facility and handcuffed themselves to the doors of the building. Federal Protective Service (FPS), USPP units, and USPP SWAT all responded to the scene," Green's email continued.

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Somah Haaland, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter, speaks during a virtual event hosted by the The Wilderness Society in October. (The Wilderness Society/YouTube/Video screenshot)

The violent protest at the Stewart Lee Udall building, the DOI headquarters, took place on Oct. 14, 2021, during a week in which climate activists had planned several rallies calling on the Biden administration to implement aggressive actions to combat global warming. 

Ahead of the week-long protest action, the PAA issued a media advisory announcing it and other like-minded groups would participate in anti-fossil fuel protests near the White House every day during the week. A separate media advisory called on individuals to come join the protests.

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However, while Green's email indicated protesters associated with People vs. Fossil Fuels and who had participated in protests at the White House were involved in the DOI protest, it is unclear whether any PAA members were present at the violent protest. Fox News Digital could not confirm PAA members attended the DOI protest.

During the protest, activists attempted to infiltrate the DOI building leading to several injuries among DOI security personnel and one officer being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.

In a statement following the violent protest, a DOI spokesperson downplayed the situation, saying the agency "believes strongly in respecting and upholding the right to free speech and peaceful protest" and would continue "to do everything we can to deescalate the situation while honoring first amendment rights."

While Interior officials also expressed shock at the protest, additional internal agency communications obtained by PPT showed that officials from the DOI, Department of Homeland Security, National Park Service and Metropolitan Police Department coordinated security efforts ahead of the protest which activists said would include "civil disobedience" measures. 

For example, in one of the messages, U.S. Park Police told DOI security officials that they should be "bit more vigilant" ahead of the protest. 

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And DOI Director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs Shantha Ready-Alonso met with protest leaders who gave her a flash drive one day before the protest on Oct. 13, 2021. Ready-Alonso had been invited to attend a press conference outside the DOI building organized by environmental groups, but the event was canceled over security concerns, the internal communications showed.

The Greater Chaco Coalition, another coalition that PAA is a member of, had been one of the lead event organizers.

"With the connections of members of DOI leadership to groups many consider on the radical fringes of the environmental movement, it’s not surprising the Department might consider such organizations to be their friends and attempt to downplay the potential for situations to get out of hand," said PPT Director Michael Chamberlain.

"But the circumstances around the riot at Interior headquarters represent yet another instance in which an administration that promised a return to normalcy is producing anything but," he added. "Meanwhile, the American public’s trust in its government continues its precipitous decline."

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, speaks during a news conference on July 22, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

In December, Somah Haaland was one of several activists to travel to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers to support a federal moratorium on oil and gas leasing near a Native American historical site in New Mexico. She and the other activists argued that drilling near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico would cause irreparable damage to local communities and the environment.

However, her involvement in the lobbying push sparked concerns that there was a conflict of interest since her mother would have the final say in a decision on the moratorium. Activists have called for a moratorium halting drilling within 10 miles of the site while industry groups and locals have supported five-mile compromise.

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"In our comments on the withdrawal, we pointed out the conflict of interest Secretary Haaland already has as a member of a Puebloan nation that is advocating for the 10-mile buffer," Kathleen Sgamma, the president of the Western Energy Alliance, told Fox News Digital in December. "Her daughter actively lobbying for the buffer highlights the conflict of interest and lack of discretion."

Sgamma added that it appeared "Secretary Haaland’s interests and kinship ties are clouding her ability to make a reasoned, balanced decision."

Somah Haaland didn't respond to a request for comment and the DOI declined to comment.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story mistakenly stated Pueblo Action Alliance participated in the October 2021 protest at the Department of the Interior's headquarters. A coalition that the alliance is a member of participated in the protest.