William Perry Pendley, head of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has been serving illegally in his position, according to US district judge Brian Morris. A couple weeks ago, Morris ruled that Pendley must vacate his position, having not been confirmed by the Senate, a legal requirement.
Pendley has simply decided that, no, he won’t leave actually, in defiance of the federal court ruling.
“I have not been ousted. That is not true,” he told the Casper Star-Tribune.
“I have the support of the president,” he told the Wyoming Powell Tribune. “I have the support of the secretary of the interior and my job is to get out and get things done to accomplish what the president wants to do.”
With Pendley, and his enablers at the Department of Interior’s, actions, he has advanced the White House’s legal doctrine of, essentially, “Yeah, you and whose army?” when told to cease an unlawful action, or testify before Congress.
In response to Pendley’s refusal to abide by the federal court ruling, Montana senator Jon Tester said Pendley was engaging in a power grab “in service of his long-held goal of selling off our lands and enriching his corporate allies.”
Pendley’s response to criticism is essentially a work-around: “We are going to recognize that authority of the court and will obey it,” he said, adding, “now the Secretary (Bernhardt) is signing all of our (BLM) documents.”
It is unclear exactly what force can remove Pendley from his position, if not a court ruling. It also calls into question whether or not Pendley’s BLM feels the need to abide by any rule or law they disagree with.
Pendley has, for example, already been put on the record dismissing the Endangered Species Act by telling a group in North Carolina, “This is why out west we say ‘shoot, shovel and shut up’ when it comes to the discovery of endangered species on your property.”
The BLM did not respond to AJ’s request for comment in time for publishing.
Photo: BLM
“The BLM did not respond to AJ’s request for comment in time for publishing.”
I’m holding my breath.
At the least he should be disbarred from practicing law.
Gee what a surprise. A closed-minded pendley-ante lackey who is always right.
If I were fired from a job and stayed there… I’d be arrested.
Anything he has done should be considered illigitimate and rolled back with a new administration.
This guy has no comprehension of concern regarding animals and environment. Sits in a seat at the WH without any knowledge of the destruction he is aligned with. Another pencil neck that knows about our precious world. BLM and this ignorant bastard is in the pockets of rangers and farmers. Shame on them all.
WH
These pompous self and money centered jerks think THEY are above the law but everyone else better pay taxes, camping fees, backcountry permits etc to pay salary’s and benefits for these crooks. Yes to removal from job by BLM police if necessary, yes to being disbarred and never allowed to serve in a government office ever again.
Riding a broped in the picture… perfect.
So much anger and negativity, which is sad because I come to AJ for good articles and good comments…usually a peaceful escape in the negative internet environment. A political piece in Adventure Journal? Its a slippery slope that I hope you all don’t slide down.
Yes there is a lot of anger and negativity everywhere.
I’m sad when I make my peaceful escape to one my favorite outdoor recreation spots only to find it is now an active mine or oilfield.
I’m glad media attention is helping hold people in power accountable.
Sometimes politics comes even to the great outdoors.
Where’s Hayduke?
First of all, this is nowhere near the most “political” post AJ has put up. Second of all, conservation was historically not a partisan issue. Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. Nixon started the EPA. It’s only been in the last decade or so that conservation has become a rallying cry for the right, and only because they are beholden to oil and gas. If people like Pendley had their way, there’d be no public lands. As someone who at least visits the AJ site from time to time, my guess is you enjoy doing things on public lands. Imagine having to pay someone to hunt, fish, hike, camp, etc. on the land that they own. They can charge whatever they like. They can close it down for any reason they choose. Does that sound like happy fun times to you?
Meanwhile, the slippery slope of avoidance and complacency is what brought us to this point of lawless corruption and environmental destruction.
AJ’s readers care about these issues more than most and calling for AJ to be silent is precisely what the forces of corruption want.
If not now, when?
If not us, who?
The man is simply waiting out the election. If Trump wins he will stay in place and assume in the future that he will get a final and formal nod. Kind of bizarre after the court ruling, blaming the decision on “politics” and then not moving from his stance. Elections make a difference. Hopefully the hunting, fishing and outdoor crowd follow up and vote (as many times as possible – right?) At least Trump implied that a few weeks ago, that folk could mail in a ballot and then vote in person.
Like many cults before it, it is leading to death and misery. First encourage as many as possible to contract a serious illness of which many will suffer and die. Then encourage survivors of that to commit a felony and lose their right to vote. Pretty self destructive and further factual proof of it being a cult.