A senior official at the Department of the Interior has admitted that federal regulation changes benefited her family's ranches, which are valued at more than $5 million.
Associate Deputy Secretary Karen Budd-Falen, the third-highest ranking official at the department, said in December that she was 'so excited' about reducing regulations that made it harder for ranchers to obtain grazing permits for government-owned land.
Speaking at a Senate Western Caucus event hosted by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, Budd-Falen said: 'I'm a rancher, and so the thing that was probably the closest to my heart was grazing regulations.'
According to her financial disclosure, Budd-Falen and her family own at least five cattle operations in Wyoming and Nevada. She and her husband also hold federal grazing allotments.
The non-profit watchdog group Campaign for Accountability has called for an investigation, saying Budd-Falen appears to have directed policy in ways that benefit her family. The Interior Department has defended her, stating she has complied with all legal and ethical requirements.
