Key facts
- Brittany Kelm, a former White House energy adviser, has taken a leadership role at Sable Offshore Corp.
- Kelm publicly advocated for Sable's projects while working for the Trump administration.
- Her move to the oil company has drawn criticism from ethics experts and California officials.
- The White House maintains that Kelm adhered to all ethics regulations.
- Sable Offshore Corp. recently received a federal judge's approval to continue oil flow through its pipeline.
Brittany Kelm, who served as a senior energy adviser for the White House’s National Energy Dominance Council, has transitioned to lead the Washington office of Sable Offshore Corp., an oil company whose projects she publicly supported while in government. Kelm's move has ignited concerns among ethics experts and former government officials regarding the perceived blurring of lines between public service and private corporate interests.
During her tenure at the White House, Kelm was notably involved in efforts to restart Sable Offshore Corp.'s pipeline system off the California coast. She was photographed wearing Sable-branded attire during a visit to the company's facilities in June, and she posted on social media about her work, stating, "We’ve unleashed California’s offshore oil production!" Top administration officials, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and National Energy Dominance Council executive director Jarrod Agen, also publicly praised Kelm's contributions to Sable's projects.
Ethics experts argue that Kelm's direct move to a company whose interests she personally championed while in government raises significant ethical questions. Davina Hurt, director of government ethics at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, noted that such close proximity between public responsibilities and private employment can trigger ethical concerns.
The White House stated that Kelm did not work on official matters with Sable while negotiating her new job, adhering to ethics laws. Spokesperson Taylor Rogers affirmed that White House employees coordinate departures with ethics officials to ensure compliance. However, critics, including a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom, have characterized the National Energy Dominance Council as a "taxpayer-funded lobbying shop for the fossil fuel industry."
Sable Offshore Corp. has faced opposition from California regulators but received support from the Trump administration, which seized oversight of the pipeline from the state. A federal judge recently ruled that oil can continue flowing through the pipeline, despite legal challenges from California's Attorney General Rob Bonta.