Another top Interior Department political appointee used his role to reap rewards for a former employer new reporting from The Guardian has revealed. Benjamin Cassidy, a senior official within Interior, pushed to provide special access to his long-time former colleagues from the National Rifle Association (NRA).
“The latest lobbyist turned-government official controversy shows Trump’s Interior for what it really is: continual undo special interest influence, utter disregard for our outdoor heritage, and, ultimately, an insult to the American taxpayer that looked to the president to drain the swamp,” said Western Values Project Deputy Director Jayson O’Neill. “Between Trump and Bernhardt, the revolving door between special interest lobbyists and political hires is spinning so fast that it’s hard to keep tabs on their exploitation of America’s public lands.”
Cassidy’s activity connecting the NRA and Interior touched many, sometimes controversial topics, including target shooting in the Sonoran Desert and board membership on a body set up to help shape policy around “international recreational hunting.” Though Cassidy left Interior several months ago, he is still under investigation by Interior’s Inspector General due for violating federal ethics rules.
This is not the first time Interior and the NRA have brushed elbows. Sec. Bernhardt has used the NRA’s platform to announce proposals, making numerous appearances on the organization’s media channels. In 2017, Susan LaPierre, a prominent leader at the NRA, was appointed by Interior officials to a National Park Foundation Board. Later, the same board was revealed seemingly as an opportunity for Interior political appointees to recruit former employers to influence policy at the Department.
Department of Influence was created by the Western Values Project — an Accountable.US project based in Montana, defending America’s public lands — to document the revolving door between special interest lobbyists and political appointees Interior and to expose how that revolving door influences decisions made by the department.