Trump official under fire after granting broad access to mining and oil firms

[Hermit-The-Prog]

Exclusive: extractive industry companies who met with Kathleen Benedetto later saw direct benefits from administration decisions

Jimmy Tobias 9 Mar 2018

A key Trump administration official scheduled roughly twice as many meetings with mining and fossil-fuel representatives as with environmental groups, public records requests have revealed.

Further investigation shows that some of the firms she met later benefited directly from administration decisions that weakened wilderness and wildlife protections.

As is the case with other prominent interior department officials appointed by the department secretary, Ryan Zinke, the official work calendar of his senior adviser Kathleen Benedetto indicates the remarkable access that the extractive industries have to the Trump administration.

“It makes it look like [Benedetto] is the fixer for mining companies,” said Aaron Weiss, a staffer at Center for Western Priorities, an environmental group. The interior department did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

[...]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/09/environment-trump-oil-gas-kathleen-benedetto