Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt is not free of the controversy or conflicts of interest that have plagued his boss, Ryan Zinke.
Bernhardt, a Colorado native, has fallen under increased attention; like Zinke, Bernhardt has been scrutinized for potential conflicts-of-interest. Juliet Eilperin, the senior national affairs correspondent for the Washington Post, profiled the Interior Department's second-in-command.
The small town of Rifle is Bernhardt's hometown. His childhood there and the shock of the 1980's oil shale bust still shape him.
Eilperin talked to Colorado Matters about Bernhardt's previous careers as a lobbyist and a partner at a high-profile law firm, as well as how his energy and environment vision has meshed with President Trump's.
