His next stop: a top position at the US interior department, which oversees hundreds of millions of acres of federal land across the country. The NRA has made the most of this dynamic during the Trump presidency, leveraging its connections to shape policy outcomes and personnel decisions at the interior department. We’re expanding opportunities to enjoy hunting and recreational shooting on our wonderful public lands.”But Benjamin Cassidy is the official that most embodies the NRA’s influence at the interior department. (An interior department spokesperson said Bernhardt did not attend any such meeting.) In a statement, the interior department said it “will not comment on Mr Cassidy’s motives or reasoning on leaving the department”.

Source: The Guardian January 23, 2020 11:01 UTC