Bernhardt backs out of Western water speech, citing ethics

摘要

Citing the advice given by Interior's Ethics Office, Bernhardt pulled out of the Colorado River Water Conservation District's annual water seminar program, being held today in Grand Junction. The Colorado native had been scheduled several weeks ago to deliver the program's keynote speech.rnInterior spokeswoman Faith Vander Voort said Bernhardt's apparent last-minute withdrawal stemmed from his practice of sending all speaking engagement requests to the Ethics Office for review.rn"In this particular case, the ethics office recommended he not participate," Vander Voort said in a statement yesterday, adding that "the deputy secretary always follows the recommendations of the ethics office."