William Perry Pendley
William Perry Pendley | |
|---|---|
| Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management for Policy and Programs | |
| In office July 15, 2019 – January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Director of the Bureau of Land Management | |
De facto, unlawful | |
| In office July 29, 2019 – September 25, 2020 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Brian Steed (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Tracy Stone-Manning |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 3, 1945 Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Education | George Washington University (BA, MA) University of Wyoming (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
William Perry Pendley is an American attorney, conservative activist, political commentator, and government official who served as the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management from 2019 to 2021.
Pendley was appointed by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt as a Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management in July 2019. He was elevated to acting director less than a month afterward. Pendley was one of a number of high-ranking acting officials carrying out official duties in the Trump administration who was never confirmed by the Senate. No BLM director was ever confirmed by the Senate during Trump's presidency.
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris ruled on September 25, 2020, that Pendley had served unlawfully for 424 days and blocked him from continuing, although Pendley refused to acknowledge the ruling; still, Pendley moved to another role that was not the directorship.