Two Democratic senators seek Interior IG probe into Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation

Published Aug 6, 08:40 PM UTC

Two Democratic senators, Sheldon Whitehouse and Martin Heinrich, have requested an investigation by the Interior Department's inspector general into the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation. The request follows the U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. dropping vandalism charges and instead attributing damage to faulty contractor work. The call for an investigation comes amid controversy over the alleged placement of Dennis Kirk, a co-author of the conservative Project 2025 initiative, within the Interior IG office. Former IG Mark Lee Greenblatt and Rep. Jared Huffman criticized the appointment, arguing it undermines the watchdog's independence. The Interior IG office declined to comment. The report also notes similar political appointments at other agency IG offices under the Trump administration.