Montana judge ousts Trump’s temporary Bureau of Land Management director
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Court order could call into question not only BLM decisions but others across the administration
An order by the chief judge of the Montana federal court on Friday not only ousted William Perry Pendley as the top official at the Bureau of Land Management but might also invalidate a wide range of decisions he took to open up vast parts of the American west to oil and gas drilling.
Pendley has been effectively serving as BLM’s acting director even though President Trump never sent his name to the Senate for confirmation, Judge Brian Morris said in his order. The judge gave the Interior Department and the plaintiffs in the case 10 days to submit examples of actions Pendley took that might be set aside.
Morris’s order could also call into question decisions made by officials in similar positions across the administration, which has not nominated people to fill 133 of the more than 750 key positions that require Senate confirmation. Many of the people carrying out those responsibilities may now be challenged for doing so in violation of a law about filling federal vacancies.
“We’re talking here about an acting official or someone designated to be the equivalent who may have no authority to make decisions,” said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service. “It creates uncertainty across the board and there are many other instances where the same or similar circumstances might exist.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/09/26/william-pendley-blm-montana-judge/
Just another example of illegal behavior by the Trump criminal organization.
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Are you a lawyer? If the agency has no head, it requires a temporary placement in order for the agency to operate. You have no idea what you're even talking about.
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Acting Directors doesn't always mean full Director. DUH!!!!
I guess some people have never heard of how things work in the real world.
