John Murdock, an 18-year veteran attorney of the US Department of the Interior, resigned on September 30, denouncing what he termed a troubling assault on the rule of law within the agency under Donald Trump, specifically citing aggressive fossil fuel expansion and the exemption of Gulf of Mexico drilling from environmental protections.
The Bottom Line
- Industry Realignment: Major energy players, including BP, Chevron, and Shell, secured stakes in recent lease sales totaling more than $370 million despite ongoing environmental litigation.
- Workforce Exodus: The resignation highlights broader administrative friction as federal agencies manage staffing reductions alongside shifting national energy strategies.
Resignation Follows Legal Objections to Gulf Drilling Sales
Murdock officially stepped down on September 30 after submitting his resignation letter earlier in the year. The Guardian and Public Domain reported that the self-described conservative Christian, who began working for the agency’s legal office in 2002, cited glaring legal flaws he witnessed during the Trump administration. His decision stemmed in particular from an incident last December when Matt Giacona, the acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), appeared in New Orleans to announce the results of a Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale.
That lease sale, known as BBG1 and mandated by Trump’s One Big Beautiful Act, attracted bids totaling more than $370 million from 30 companies. However, environmental groups quickly challenged the sale in court. BOEM’s Giacona, coordinating with the interior department’s legal office, had published a memo determining that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a key provision of the ESA, and several other environmental safeguards were not applicable at the lease sale stage.
Contested Environmental Exemptions and Endangered Species Protections
George Torgun, a senior attorney at Earthjustice, criticized the policy in legal filings, stating that the administration had no basis for exempting massive drilling lease sales from bedrock laws passed decades ago. The administration pushed back in court filings, arguing that because the lease sale was mandated by Congress, the agency lacked sufficient discretion to alter its scope or terms in ways that could affect environmental outcomes.
Murdock pointed to the administration’s decision to exempt oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act as a particularly repugnant policy. He noted that the Rice’s whale, one of the most imperiled marine mammal species, calls the Gulf home.
| Event / Action | Key Detail | Primary Entity |
|---|---|---|
| Resignation Date | September 30 | John Murdock (Interior Dept. Attorney) |
| Lease Sale BBG1 Value | Over $370 million in bids | BOEM / BP, Chevron, Shell |
| BOEM Leadership Shift | Departed agency in September | Matt Giacona (to Halliburton) |
| Energy Policy Shift | Key Detail | Primary Entity |
| Offshore Wind Reversal | Nearly $1bn reimbursement | Total Energies |
Shifts in National Energy Strategy and Personnel Departures
Beyond fossil fuel expansion, Murdock criticized the administration’s political stance on offshore wind energy, arguing that an “all of the above” energy strategy had morphed into “one of the above”, solely focused on fossil fuels. He referenced decisions to shutter nearly complete offshore wind projects and compensate Total Energies nearly $1 billion to renounce wind leases off the US east coast. Murdock also objected to internal agency communications, describing weekly video updates sent to employees as adopting a cultish and self-congratulatory tone regarding presidential leadership.
Murdock acknowledged the personal cost of his departure, walking away from a stable government salary, benefits, and a more complicated retirement. Meanwhile, BOEM’s Giacona departed the agency in September to join oil services giant Halliburton.
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