Former oil and gas lobbyist David Bernhardt became acting head of the Interior Department on January 2, midway through the historic government shutdown. Under Bernhardt’s command, the Interior Department formally changed its shutdown plans, recalling employees to process drilling permits, both offshore and throughout the Mountain West. A new analysis by the Center for Western Priorities finds that dozens of drilling permits approved during the shutdown were for companies that serve on the boards of major trade associations that were recent clients of David Bernhardt.
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Interior approved drilling permits for Bernhardt-linked companies during shutdown
Jan 30, 2019
Issue: Ethics & Transparency, Oil & Gas
Subject: Interior
By Center for Western Priorities
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