Ex-White House official nominated as DOI watchdog
President Trump has nominated a former White House official and Project 2025 author to be the Interior Department’s internal watchdog, a move that critics say could hurt the integrity of the office’s investigations.
© AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Trump nominated Dennis Kirk, one of the authors of a chapter of the conservative policy playbook and a former official in the White House Office of Personnel Management during the first Trump administration, to be the department’s inspector general.
Mark Greenblatt, a former inspector general (IG) of the department, recently told The Hill that having someone with clear political leanings in the role of independent watchdog was unprecedented and could hamper investigations and compromise whistleblowers.
“The chilling effect on whistleblowers is real,” Greenblatt said via text. “Who would jeopardize their careers by submitting a complaint about an administration official to an IG who is avowedly aligned with the administration?”
He raised similar concerns about inspector general office staff, saying, “What if an audit into an administration initiative finds problems — will the auditors hesitate to report such findings out of fear from their own IG? Will investigators be punished or sidelined if they conduct good-faith investigations into senior administration officials and uncover evidence of misconduct?”
This is not Kirk’s first placement within a watchdog’s office. The Washington Post reported that he was also placed inside a watchdog office for the intelligence community last year.
His appointment comes as the Interior Department faces particular scrutiny over Trump’s D.C. projects, specifically the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Read more at TheHill.com.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:
The Senate has confirmed President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of disasters and funding under the Trump administration.
President Trump on Friday announced a slate of deals and investments that aim to bolster mining, something the administration has said will boost the economy and secure supply chains.
U.S. crude oil supplies are at a 45-year low as the Iran war continues to tarnish strategic reserves.
News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:
Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution (The New York Times)
Two key stories on The Hill right now:
Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, called President Trump’s public criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over her handling of the Reflecting Pool vandalism case “shocking” on Thursday. Read more
Amazon has responded to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s cease-and-desist letters that went out to 40 major retailers over the sale of “prohibited motorized scooters and e-bikes.” Read more
You’re all caught up. See you Monday!
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Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
{beacon} Energy Environment Energy Environment The Big Story Ex-White House official nominated as DOI watchdog President Trump has nominated a former White House official and…
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President Trump has nominated a former White House official and Project 2025 author to be the Interior Department’s internal watchdog, a move that critics say could hurt the integrity of the office’s investigations.
© AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Trump nominated Dennis Kirk, one of the authors of a chapter of the conservative policy playbook and a former official in the White House Office of Personnel Management during the first Trump administration, to be the department’s inspector general.
Mark Greenblatt, a former inspector general (IG) of the department, recently told The Hill that having someone with clear political leanings in the role of independent watchdog was unprecedented and could hamper investigations and compromise whistleblowers.
“The chilling effect on whistleblowers is real,” Greenblatt said via text. “Who would jeopardize their careers by submitting a complaint about an administration official to an IG who is avowedly aligned with the administration?”
He raised similar concerns about inspector general office staff, saying, “What if an audit into an administration initiative finds problems — will the auditors hesitate to report such findings out of fear from their own IG? Will investigators be punished or sidelined if they conduct good-faith investigations into senior administration officials and uncover evidence of misconduct?”
This is not Kirk’s first placement within a watchdog’s office. The Washington Post reported that he was also placed inside a watchdog office for the intelligence community last year.
His appointment comes as the Interior Department faces particular scrutiny over Trump’s D.C. projects, specifically the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Read more at TheHill.com.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:
The Senate has confirmed President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of disasters and funding under the Trump administration.
President Trump on Friday announced a slate of deals and investments that aim to bolster mining, something the administration has said will boost the economy and secure supply chains.
U.S. crude oil supplies are at a 45-year low as the Iran war continues to tarnish strategic reserves.
News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:
Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution (The New York Times)
Two key stories on The Hill right now:
Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, called President Trump’s public criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over her handling of the Reflecting Pool vandalism case “shocking” on Thursday. Read more
Amazon has responded to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s cease-and-desist letters that went out to 40 major retailers over the sale of “prohibited motorized scooters and e-bikes.” Read more
You’re all caught up. See you Monday!
Close
The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
President Trump has nominated a former White House official and Project 2025 author to be the Interior Department’s internal watchdog, a move that critics say could hurt the integrity of the office’s investigations.
© AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
Trump nominated Dennis Kirk, one of the authors of a chapter of the conservative policy playbook and a former official in the White House Office of Personnel Management during the first Trump administration, to be the department’s inspector general.
Mark Greenblatt, a former inspector general (IG) of the department, recently told The Hill that having someone with clear political leanings in the role of independent watchdog was unprecedented and could hamper investigations and compromise whistleblowers.
“The chilling effect on whistleblowers is real,” Greenblatt said via text. “Who would jeopardize their careers by submitting a complaint about an administration official to an IG who is avowedly aligned with the administration?”
He raised similar concerns about inspector general office staff, saying, “What if an audit into an administration initiative finds problems — will the auditors hesitate to report such findings out of fear from their own IG? Will investigators be punished or sidelined if they conduct good-faith investigations into senior administration officials and uncover evidence of misconduct?”
This is not Kirk’s first placement within a watchdog’s office. The Washington Post reported that he was also placed inside a watchdog office for the intelligence community last year.
His appointment comes as the Interior Department faces particular scrutiny over Trump’s D.C. projects, specifically the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Read more at TheHill.com.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:
The Senate has confirmed President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of disasters and funding under the Trump administration.
President Trump on Friday announced a slate of deals and investments that aim to bolster mining, something the administration has said will boost the economy and secure supply chains.
U.S. crude oil supplies are at a 45-year low as the Iran war continues to tarnish strategic reserves.
News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:
Trump’s Vision for A.I. Dominance Comes With Major Air Pollution (The New York Times)
Two key stories on The Hill right now:
Maggie Haberman, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, called President Trump’s public criticism of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over her handling of the Reflecting Pool vandalism case “shocking” on Thursday. Read more
Amazon has responded to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s cease-and-desist letters that went out to 40 major retailers over the sale of “prohibited motorized scooters and e-bikes.” Read more
You’re all caught up. See you Monday!
Close
The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Energy and Environment newsletter
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Read the full story at The Hill ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- {beacon} Energy Environment Energy Environment The Big Story Ex-White House official nominated as DOI watchdog President Trump has nominated a former White House official and…