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According to a batch of over 900 pages of emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt doesn't hesitate to let agency ethics officials know which decisions he prefers. It's no surprise that Secretary Bernhardt should have to consult with the agency's ethics office on a regular basis to navigate the conflict of interest minefield that constitutes his former clients in the oil and gas industry. However, it is surprising the degree to which Mr. Bernhardt has tried to influence ethics officials' decisions in his favor, as evident by his own words.
Mr. Bernhardt has earned a reputation for making decisions that directly benefit his former clients since joining the Interior Department in August 2017. This includes California's Westlands Water District, who has long sought to dismantle environmental protections for endangered species in order to secure more irrigation water. Last month, Westlands got their wish. Now it appears as though Secretary Bernhardt is fulfilling the wishes of his former clients with the blessing of Interior's ethics office.
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These emails suggest that Interior ethics officials faced significant pressure from Trump political appointees to greenlight ethically questionable activities.”
