The Interior Department Inspector General released findings of an investigation into whether former Trump Interior Secretary David Bernhardt violated the Lobbying Disclosure Act by working for California’s Westlands Water District, a former client of his, during the Trump transition—after he had deregistered as a federal lobbyist.
The investigation revealed that while Bernhardt did continue to advise Westlands during the transition, it could not prove that Bernhardt violated federal lobbying laws regarding his former client. However, the investigation itself was stonewalled by Bernhardt, who canceled a scheduled in-person interview the night before, and refused to participate in the investigation or meet with investigators without special conditions.
“Once again, David Bernhardt has shown who he truly is—a swamp creature who thinks the rules don’t apply to him. By refusing to cooperate with yet another investigation into his ethical lapses, Bernhardt continues to sully his own reputation, as well as the reputation of his law firm and its clients,” said Center for Western Priorities’ deputy director Aaron Weiss.
Quick hits
Sec. Haaland promises new 5-year offshore leasing plan by June
A robust land base is the foundation of tribal sovereignty, and self determination lands from [within] the geographic reach of our jurisdiction supports our tribal population. It is the basis of our economy, and provides an irreplaceable forum for our cultural vitality, practices.”
This Saturday, May 21, 2022 is Colorado Public Lands Day! Colorado has 43 state parks, 350 state wildlife areas, and 22 million acres of federal public land. Don’t have a plan yet for how to enjoy Colorado’s public lands this Saturday? Check www.coloradopubliclandsday.com for an event near you. Photo: BLM Flickr
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Department of the Interior officials attended a community meeting Friday to gather feedback on the proposal to designate Chuckwalla National Monument, signaling that the administration is interested in moving forward with a monument designation. Attendees included BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and Acting Deputy Interior Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis. An estimated 700 people attended the meeting, and […]
DENVER—The Center for Western Priorities today released an updated leasing and drilling dashboard that provides an at-a-glance look at data related to oil and gas leasing and production on public lands under the Biden administration. Data included in the dashboard show that, while the Interior Department has yet to initiate its promised rulemaking to reform the broken federal oil […]
The Center for Western Priorities released a new report, “Winning the West: Election 2022,” detailing how public lands were a winning issue in the 2022 election and how pro-conservation positions often gave candidates a competitive edge in close races. According to the report, candidates like new Congressman Gabe Vasquez in New Mexico highlighted their conservation […]
“These plans show that a handshake doesn’t mean anything to David Bernhardt unless it’s with an oil and gas executive. At Bernhardt’s direction, the Interior Department is breaking a landmark deal that was brokered by Western governors, ranchers, and conservationists—all to allow more drilling and mining.
After stocking his department with oil and gas lobbyists, Zinke goes full speed ahead on drilling and mining Last week, as most Americans celebrated Thanksgiving, the Trump administration quietly released two stunning reports detailing the current and forecasted impacts of climate change to the United States. The comprehensive studies concluded that the United States is […]
A robust land base is the foundation of tribal sovereignty, and self determination lands from [within] the geographic reach of our jurisdiction supports our tribal population. It is the basis of our economy, and provides an irreplaceable forum for our cultural vitality, practices.”