Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Today, Donald Trump announced that he will nominate David Bernhardt to be the Secretary of the Department of the Interior.
Before joining Interior as disgraced former secretary Ryan Zinke’s deputy, Bernhardt was a lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry, including dozens of companies with business currently being considered by the department, and has so many conflicts of interest he has to carry a card listing all of them. Bernhardt has reportedly been the driving force behind many of Interior’s plans to sell off America’s public lands and waters to fossil fuels companies.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“David Bernhardt is a walking conflict of interest who has no business overseeing America’s public lands. The Secretary of the Interior should be someone who respects the mission of the department and sees the value in our public lands and waters beyond their capacity to be drilled, mined, or fracked. Bernhardt’s time as Ryan Zinke’s right-hand man in their joint efforts to help corporate polluters at the expense of the American people makes it clear that he is not that person. The Senate must reject Bernhardt and not allow this fossil fuel lobbyist to do any more damage to our shared public spaces.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.