Michael Hiltzik: How the Interior Department has tried to stifle ethical doubts raised about its acting chief

When it comes to acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt's involvement in plans to loosen environmental restrictions on water flows for California's Central Valley farmers, a few things are clear and many more are murky.

What's clear is that Bernhardt, who became deputy Interior secretary in 2017, was involved in decisions connected with those efforts. It's also clear that the department's actions would yield major benefits for the giant Westlands Water District, a client of Bernhardt's during his years as a lawyer for agricultural interests in California.

The murkiness comes from the Interior Department's efforts to defend Bernhardt against accusations that he has violated government ethics rules, lobbying regulations, and his own ethics commitments. Put simply, the department's ethics rulings are transparently bogus.

"The public now can't be sure if