Rather than investigate ethics in the White House, Jason Chaffetz is probing a national park's Twitter account

Jason Chaffetz.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

With questions swirling over President Trump campaign aides' alleged contact with Russia, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway's shameless plug for first daughter Ivanka Trump's products from the White House press briefing room, and the president's potential conflicts of interest, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is zeroing in on the issue that really matters: a tweet from Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park. Back in December, the national park's official Twitter account welcomed the new Bears Ears National Monument to the National Park Service Family:

Bryce Canyon interim superintendent Sue Fritzke denied the park received advanced notice, and said the welcome tweet was just that. "When we have another piece of land in the park service that is close by, we will reach out and welcome them to the federal family, and let them know we are here and interested in connecting," Fritzke said. The tweet was sent one day after former President Barack Obama designated the land.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Chaffetz has claimed the Bears Ears investigation is at the "very bottom of the list" of investigations, but he has apparently decided the question it's raised won't be "taking care of itself" — unlike questions raised by former national security adviser Michael Flynn's contact with Russia's U.S. ambassador during Trump's transition.

Explore More