White House withdraws nomination of William Pendley to head the Bureau of Land Management

WASHINGTON - The Trump administration withdrew the controversial nomination of William Pendley to head the Bureau of Land Management on Saturday amid signs that the choice would hurt the reelection prospects of Republican Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Steve Daines of Montana.

Earlier this month the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee received the materials needed to hold hearings on the nomination. But Democrats were planning to press Daines, who sits on the committee and who is in a tight race with Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat. It was not clear whether Gardner or Daines would vote for Pendley.

Earlier this month, the Montana League of Conservation Voters put up an ad showing beautiful vistas behind signs saying "FOR SALE PUBLIC LAND." The ad calls Pendley an "anti-public land zealot" and urges voters to "tell Steve Daines our public lands are not for sale."

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/nation/bureau-of-land-managements-trump-white-house-william-pendley-20200815.html