Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Today, the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hearing on the nomination of former fossil fuel lobbyist David Bernhardt for Secretary 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.
Bernhardt has also showed an unprecedented lack of transparency, and under his watch Interior has refused to respond to basic Freedom of Information Act requests within the timeline required by law, or even to provide estimates of when such requests may be addressed.
Throughout his hearing, Bernhardt downplayed these conflicts of interest and touted his commitment to conservation, despite his efforts to increase access to public lands for fossil fuel companies.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“David Bernhardt’s performance today further confirms that he can’t be trusted to oversee America’s public lands and waters. His dishonest attempts to downplay his many conflicts of interest are betrayed by his track record at Interior, during which he’s repeatedly sold out the interests of the American people to benefit his friends and former clients. The Senate must protect America’s shared public spaces and reject Bernhardt.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.