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MAGA politicians who who are personally invested in companies that drill and mine public BLM lands hold hearing to maintain industry’s sweetheart deal to exploit the same lands

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the MAGA majority on the House Natural Resources Committee (HNRC)  held a hearing to upend the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposed Public Lands Rule, which puts conservation on equal footing with industry. In response, Accountable.US released a new report revealing that the same GOP members on the HNRC, in addition to some of the bill’s sponsors, have as much as $895 thousand dollars invested in energy and mining interest on BLM land and made over $1 million from those companies.  

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It’s no surprise that MAGA extremists are fighting so hard to protect the industry’s sweetheart deal when they personally profit from it. All of the conspiracy theories, grandstanding and lies they put on full display during today's hearing are a smokescreen for their greed and hunger for power. BLM must start managing public lands that belong to all Americans for the benefit of all, instead of the privileged few.”

Chris Marshall, Research Manager for Environment & Energy at Accountable.US.

Report Highlights:

Republicans in the House Natural Resources Committee and the bill’s co-sponsors have as much as $895 thousand dollars invested in energy and mining interests on BLM land, and made around $1 million from those companies. 

  • Rep. Ryan Zinke: The bill’s co-sponsor, owns $100,000 – $250,000 in stocks and had a seat on the board of U.S. Gold Corp, a mining company with active operations on BLM land. He also received at least $146,000 of income from a combination of mining and oil companies extracting on BLM land. 
  • Rep. Mike Simpson: Another co-sponsor, invested $20,006 – $125,000 in oil and mining companies that extract on BLM-managed public land.
  • Rep. Lauren Boebert: Her then-husband made nearly $1 million working for Terra Energy Partners, a company with major drilling operations in BLM-managed sage grouse territory. 
  • Rep. Blake Moore: Owns $67,000 – $180,000 in Berkshire Hathaway Inc stock, which has energy investments in BLM-managed sage grouse habitat. 
  • Chairman Bruce Westerman: Owns $16,000 – $65,000 in energy and mining funds that profit off extraction on public lands. 
  • Rep. Garret Graves: Owns $1,000 – $15,000 in Barrick Gold Corporation, a company with BLM-leased mining operations that faced scrutiny from Native American tribes. 
  • Rep. Harriet Hageman: Hageman’s spouse owns $7,000 – $105,000 in energy companies that extract on BLM land, in addition to oil and mineral rights worth an “undetermined” amount. She reported $7,607 – $23,200 in 2021 income from these investments.
  • Rep. John Curtis: Owns $2,000 – $30,000 in energy giants Chevron and ConocoPhillips, both of which lease land from BLM for oil and gas extraction. 
  • Rep. Rob Wittman: Owns $20,000 – $125,000 in oil and mining companies that extract on BLM land.
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