Trump’s Former Interior Secretary Rakes In Corporate Cash At New Lobbying Firm
David Bernhardt's new firm is making big bucks lobbying for major energy corporations, agricultural giants and more.
As President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” budget bill moved through Congress earlier this year, conservationists were aghast to learn that the House version of the bill included a massive handout to a foreign mining firm called Antofagasta Plc. The Chilean-owned company wants to build a controversial copper and nickel mine at the edge of Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, an iconic redoubt of pristine lakes and expansive forest. Conservationists have vociferously opposed the project, fearing mine contamination of the wilderness area. The Biden administration took steps to block the project. Congressional Republicans, however, slipped into the budget bill a provision that would have effectively given the company mining leases in perpetuity, while barring American citizens from suing to stop the project.
Though the provision was ultimately stripped out of the bill, it was curious to see Congressional Republicans bend over backwards to help a foreign-owned mining giant in such a targeted manner. And President Trump’s Interior Department is also catering to Antofagasta — recently re-issuing a legal opinion that will revive the beleaguered mine project.
Antofagasta and its subsidiary, Twin Metals Minnesota, know how to play the game. They have high-powered representation in Washington D.C.
Twin Metals, via the powerhouse law firm Brownstein Farber Hyatt Schreck (BHFS), recently retained The Bernhardt Group as one of its lobbying firms in Washington. Founded by David Bernhardt, who served as interior secretary during President Trump’s first term, The Bernhardt Group opened its doors earlier this year and has not been shy about touting its “deep and meaningful relationships with the current administration and key congressional leaders.” Twin Metals, through BHFS, paid The Bernhardt Group some $40,000 to lobby Congress, the White House and the Interior Department on its behalf between April and late June, according to Senate lobbying disclosure records.
The Bernhardt Group did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Bernhardt is a power in Trump World. In addition to his former role at DOI, he is an executive vice president at the American First Policy Institute, a prominent pro-Trump think tank. He was a key player on Trump’s 2024 transition team. And in February, he joined the board of Trump Media and Technology Group, the company that runs Truth Social and other Trump-owned media platforms.
Bernhardt’s new lobbying firm is staffed by a bevy of former government officials, including Todd Willens, Cole Rojewski, Faith Vander Voort and Jon Hrobsky, all former high-level political appointees at the Interior Department during Trump’s first term.
Now these former public officials are using their firm’s “unmatched influence” to generate lucrative contracts from a wide range of corporate clients. According to Senate lobbying disclosures, in the second quarter of 2025 the firm took in:
$20,000 from Devon Energy, an oil and gas company
$20,000 from J.R. Simplot, the agribusiness and cattle ranching giant
$30,000 from Sierra Pacific Industries, the timber industry behemoth
$20,000 from Delaware North, a major National Park Service concessionaire
$30,000 from Westlands Water District, a long-time Bernhardt client and major player in California’s agricultural economy
$20,000 from the Almond Alliance, a trade group that represents almond producers
$20,000 from the American Exploration and Production Council, and oil and gas trade group
The lobbying firm is also working on behalf of a number of clients of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, the law and lobbying firm where Bernhardt worked prior to joining Trump 1.0. These clients include Twin Metals, the gold-mining giant Barrick Gold and a rare earth mining company called USA Rare Earth. The Bernhardt Group has also registered to lobby for Chevron, among other industry players.
Many of these companies have significant business before the Interior Department, which regulates mining, oil and gas, and water management in much of the American West. Indeed, during Bennhardt's tenure at DOI, the agency delivered policies favorable to such industries, including policies meant to boost the proposed Twin Metals mine in Minnesota. Now the work continues from the outside. Bernhardt and his coterie of aides and allies, having passed through the capacious revolving door at Donald Trump’s DOI, are now raking in cash.
In total, OpenSecrets reports that The Bernhardt Group brought in $420,000 from some 20 clients in the second quarter of 2025 alone.
Long-time critics of Bernhardt are not surprised by his transactional turn given his robust history of alternating between government positions and lobbying jobs.
"Right on cue, the ultimate swamp creature rises from the muck,” said Aaron Weiss, deputy director of the Center for Western Priorities, a Colorado-based conservation group. “Bernhardt isn't even trying to hide the corruption any more — he's proudly advertising his access to the people who have been installed to give him and his clients everything they want.”
Great article Jimmy keep up the good fight. This administration has got to be exposed to the corruption and lawlessness it is creating.
Just like officials appointed by democrat administrations leaving for law firms masquerading as environmental nonprofits. Your overt hypocrisy doesn't do much to solve the issue, even if it does placate your sycophantic followers.