ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 27, 2025
Tyler Hassen, Texas oil executive from Elon Musk’s government efficiency team. He lacks Senate confirmation, has no public administration experience, hasn’t divested his energy investments or filed an ethics commitment to break ties with companies that pose a conflict of interest. Yet, he has been given sweeping powers to overhaul the federal department that manages vast tracts of resource-rich public lands. “It’s a dereliction of duty to offload decisions about staffing and funding at the Interior Department to someone who hasn’t even been confirmed by the Senate,” said Kate Groetzinger, with the Center for Western Priorities, a nonpartisan conservation group. A department spokesperson said that Hassen is helping achieve the president’s vision for major changes.