Dept. of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s net worth was recently revealed to be zero, according to Forbes. Though the representative has garnered the support of many New Mexicans, other residents do not believe in her ability to represent Mexico and its people.
"The story states that Deb Haaland has a net worth of zero. And that is a good thing according to this ‘progressive’ legislator. Deb Haaland can’t manage her own finances let alone a multi-billion dollar agency," Paul Gessing, President of the Rio Grande Foundation tweeted.
Haaland is among the first Native American women to serve in Congress, and the first Native American to make it into the Cabinet, Forbes reported. Despite owning a $1 million home in New Mexico and continuously insisting that she has recovered from the financial hardships brought upon her from being a single mom and her previous lack of sobriety, Haaland’s financial and public records indicate that her net worth remains at $0, according to Forbes.
Federal appointees and officials are required to list the majority of assets, liabilities, and sources of income on disclosure reports that the Office of Government Ethics collects but does not audit, but aren’t expected to disclose the value of any personal residences, Forbes reports. Haaland’s filing for 2020, however, is nearly blank, listing only student loans worth no more than $50,000, plus a $175 annual tribal fee. Records indicate she does not own her home, and that she may have a small checking account.
“I don’t have a savings account, right? I mean that is—what's real,” Haaland said in an interview with the Today show in 2019. “I just feel like there have to be more people like me in office who can say, ‘I know what it’s like to be on food stamps. I know what it’s like to find every free program to put my kid through so that she has opportunities.’”
The University of Mexico graduate ran for office as lieutenant governor in 2014 but didn’t win. Just a year prior, Haaland launched a $2.2 million congressional campaign and had accumulated $41,000 from different sources, as well as $28,000 from the San Felipe Casino and $9,300 in unemployment. Her first year in the House she received a raise to $174,000. As a Cabinet Secretary, she now earns $200,000 a year.
“If an Indigenous woman from humble beginnings can be confirmed as secretary of the interior,” Haaland said during her confirmation hearing with the Senate, “our country holds promise for everyone.”