Interior Department Secretary David Bernhardt. Photo: Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Monday announced he will nominate David Bernhardt, a former longtime energy lobbyist, to lead the Interior Department, ending the search for a permanent replacement for embattled and scandal-ridden Ryan Zinke.
Details: Bernhardt became the agency’s deputy secretary in summer 2017 and has been leading the department on an acting interim basis since Zinke resigned in December amid several ethics scandals, including one reportedly referred to the Justice Department. Bernhardt worked in the Interior Department under President George W. Bush and has since lobbied on behalf of several companies and organizations with business at his agency now.