Key facts
- Interior Department staffers have expressed concerns about poor management, secrecy, and staff departures under Secretary Doug Burgum.
- Former employees and lobbyists accuse Burgum of fostering a toxic leadership environment and disregarding career staff advice.
- Allegations include the use of non-disclosure agreements, document shredding, and disappearing digital messages to avoid record-keeping.
- Burgum is reportedly in a dispute with prosecutor Jeanine Pirro over Interior's handling of evidence related to the Reflecting Pool repairs.
- Interior's workforce has decreased by nearly 14% since Burgum took office.
- Interior spokesperson Katie Martin and White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt have defended Burgum's leadership.
Interior Department staffers have expressed significant concerns regarding the leadership and management practices of Secretary Doug Burgum, with their private criticisms echoing public broadsides from prosecutor Jeanine Pirro. Initially optimistic about Burgum's executive experience, staffers have grown worried about poor agency management, a culture of secrecy, and substantial staff losses.
According to former staffers, some employees were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, and several top officials have departed the agency since Burgum took over. Tony Irish, who worked at Interior for over 20 years, stated that Burgum "does not solicit or value the opinions of career staffers" and shows "disdain for the rank and file."
Concerns about secrecy include allegations of officials shredding documents and using disappearing Signal messages to avoid creating written records, which is required by the Federal Records Act. One former official noted, "They’re terrified of written records."
These internal complaints coincide with a bureaucratic dispute between Burgum and Jeanine Pirro, Washington's top prosecutor. Pirro alleged that Interior officials misrepresented facts and withheld key details regarding damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool's lining, which was attributed to installation blunders rather than vandalism.
Interior spokesperson Katie Martin defended Burgum, calling the anonymous attacks "Fake News" and highlighting the department's successes in expanding oil and gas leasing and park visitation. She denied Burgum asked for an additional SCIF and stated the only "culture of paranoid secrecy" was in the minds of those with "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt affirmed President Trump's "tremendous respect" for Burgum, calling him "one of the most valuable members of his cabinet."
Burgum's appointment to Interior was reportedly a consolation prize after he sought higher-profile roles. He has since strongly supported Trump's policies, including workforce reductions. The department's staff has shrunk by nearly 14% through buyouts and early retirements. Departed officials include former top lawyer William Doffermyre, chief of staff Wynn Radford, and others.
Some former officials partially blame Burgum's chief of staff, JoDee Hanson, for their decisions to leave, citing her rough management style. Martin stated Hanson "exudes professionalism and class" and denied allegations of improper behavior.