Trump To Appeal Removal Of 'Polarizing' Public Lands Chief

The Trump administration says it will comply, for now, with a federal court ruling that blocks William Perry Pendley from continuing to serve as the temporary head of the Bureau of Land Management. In statements to NPR, the Trump administration said an appeal is planned but no timeline has been given. "The Department of the Interior believes this ruling is erroneous, fundamentally misinterprets the law and unreasonably attempts to up-end decades of practice spanning multiple presidential administrations from both parties," said DOI soliciter Dan Jorjani in a statement. Even though Pendley has been leading the agency since Aug. 2019, his official title has remained deputy director of policy and programs. Jordani said Pendley neither received Senate confirmation nor was he serving as an acting director and therefore his appointment was not in violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which bars acting agency officials from serving for more than 210 days. Nevertheless, the shuffling of temporary appointments and non-confirmed agency directors has been a hallmark of the Trump era. Democrats have likened it to a shell game where the president can keep close control over his appointees while skirting Senate oversight, as is required by the Constitution. For now, it appears Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is officially back overseeing the BLM's department-wide operations, though Pendley is still working at the agency while the administration reviews "all legal options."...MORE