Texas oil executive Tyler Hassen has signed on to Elon Musk’s new government efficiency team. As part of this new administration, he has returned to taking on a central role in U.S. Department of the Interior. Hassen to take charge with unprecedented powers. Now he’s tasked with navigating an immediate and likely permanent overhaul of the federal agency that controls multi-million-acre patches of resource-rich public lands. Given his longstanding ties to the oil industry, that should raise red flags. His lack of action on divesting from various energy investments makes the conflicts of interest concerns more pronounced.
Ann Hassen’s appointment comes just as the Interior Department is under immense pressure. Additionally, the department needs to rapidly respond to shifting energy priorities and developing environmental policies. His mandate entails building on policies set during former President Trump’s term in office, including extending a freeze on key regulations. Earlier this month, Hassen submitted a notice to the Federal Register to extend this freeze. He defended that action most directly by eliminating any chance for public comment—which he labeled “against the public interest.”
Environmental organizations and a number of state legislators are sounding the alarm over Hassen’s deep financial connections to the energy industry. As a federal official who can influence federal energy policy, his support for centralized load-serving utilities is deeply troubling. Divesting from his energy investments and filing an ethics commitment not to engage in conflicts of interest with those firms, however, are actions still left undone. His financial disclosures indicate that he has poured a lot of money into several different industries. Of particular interest, he reported investing $250,000– $500,000 in the security firm Global Guardian and $50,001– $100,000 in the cryptocurrency mining company Block Harvest.
Hassen’s financial portfolio astonishingly stretches all the way to 254 stock holdings. He has a voracious appetite for investments across industries, most notably in crypto, tobacco, and foreign banking. Other listed holdings include between $1,001 and $15,000 worth of shares each in Archrock, WEC Energy Group and Quanta Services. This wide-ranging portfolio begs serious questions regarding his ability to make unbiased decisions that impact vital public lands and resources.
Hassen’s familial connections further complicate matters. Tyler’s brother, Todd Hassen, is deeply entrenched in the Texas energy industry. This new tie opens Tyler’s time at the Interior Department to further examination. Critics contend that these ties may already be skewing Hassen’s decision-making and will continue to cause her to prioritize corporate interests over environmental protections.
In April, it was Hassen herself who made the controversial decision to terminate department chief attorney Tony Irish. This courageous decision followed Irish’s refusal to allow Hassen entry to a sensitive, personnel-only database. Legal experts are up in arms about this particular case. They contend that it conflates alarming allegations regarding Hassen’s fitness for federal service.
“In seeking to remove Tony Irish, Tyler Hassen has demonstrated his own unfitness for federal service,” – Tim Whitehouse
The corporate bullying Whitehouse went on to characterize Hassen’s tactics as is not, and should not, be the name of the public service game. At the same time, supporters of Hassen point to his extensive industry experience as a strength.
“As a member of those industries, he’s uniquely qualified to flag the ones they don’t like,” – Josh Axelrod
Additionally, Hassen’s public service, he says, is meant to be an example.
“is me giving back to the country.” – Tyler Hassen
He professes to be dedicated to national service. All those stock holdings and financial interests concentrated in the space of his jurisdiction are concerning. Critics contend these connections could influence policy making. They’re concerned that with these decisions, he will prioritize his personal investments over serving the public good.
Doug Burgum, whom Hassen recruited to support her initiatives, noticed the department’s inefficiency during his first week. He highlighted that these issues must be resolved with urgency.
“have identified massive amounts of waste, fraud, and abuse already!” – Doug Burgum
Opponents argue that absent transparency and ethical oversight, the risk of corruption is too great. Jacob Malcom expressed concerns regarding financial transactions initiated by officials like Hassen.
“Unless Congress has explicitly authorized those funds to be moved, they can’t actually transfer the funds,” – Jacob Malcom
Hassen’s actions at the Interior Department signal a significant shift in how resource management may be approached under his tenure. Environmental advocates are similarly apoplectic by the agency’s decision to curtail public comment on any regulatory change. In fact, they argue that these very measures erode democratic norms and processes.
