ToplineA federal judge on Friday ordered Bureau of Land Management head William Pendley to be removed from his post because he hasn’t been confirmed by the Senate. William Pendley ASSOCIATED PRESSKey FactsPendley has been serving unlawfully as acting head of the agency for 424 days, the judge ruled, because he was never confirmed by the Senate. Pendley was a controversial pick because he has repeatedly denied the existence of climate change, CNN reported, and previously advocated for the transfer of federal public lands to states. The Government Accountability Office found last month that Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli are ineligible to serve. What’s NextThe Interior Department intends to appeal the ruling, according to the Associated Press, but it’s unclear if Pendley will have to step down immediately as the appeal plays out.

Source: Forbes September 26, 2020 01:41 UTC