"Interior: BLM Chief's Financial Ties To Law Group Run Deep"

"The Bureau of Land Management's top official recused himself last month from decisionmaking tied to nearly five dozen organizations and individuals — including a two-year ban on clients represented by his former law firm — but newly disclosed documents show his financial ties to some of those interests will last a lifetime.

A copy of William Perry Pendley's financial disclosure report, filed with the Office of Government Ethics in late August, details his fiscal relationship with the nonprofit Mountain States Legal Foundation, where he served as president until early December 2018.

The report, provided to E&E News by the Montana-based Western Values Project, shows Pendley was paid a $224,000 "salary" before he left the foundation. He was scheduled to receive an additional $324,000 payment on or before Sept. 12.

In addition, Pendley is set to receive an unspecified "lifelong payment" from the law firm as part of a charitable gift annuity. Such arrangements allow donors to transfer assets to a charity for partial tax deductions as well as a future income stream."

Jennifer Yachnin reports for Greenwire October 16, 2019.

SEE ALSO:

"Public Lands Decisions Best Made in D.C., Acting BLM Chief Says" (Bloomberg Environment)

""What I Did in the Past Is Irrelevant," BLM Chief Says in Fort Collins" (Westword)

"The William Perry Pendley Rehabilitation Tour" (The Revelator)

 

Source: Greenwire, 10/17/2019