David Bernhardt Confirmed as Interior Secretary Despite 27 Conflicts of Interest

Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary despite him having the most conflicts of interest of any Trump Cabinet nominee - 27 former clients and employers actively lobbying the Interior Department. A former oil and gas lobbyist, Bernhardt had so many potential conflicts he literally carried a card listing them. His former clients included Halliburton, Cobalt International Energy, and California’s Westlands Water District. Within weeks of confirmation, he blocked endangered species protections and opened Arctic lands for drilling that his former clients sought. Environmental groups called him a “walking conflict of interest.”