Interior says any suggestion Burgum's decisions are driven by his investments is 'false and completely unsupported'

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ProPublica reports Burgum holds up to $64.4 million in AI companies while pushing data centers on public lands; Interior calls suggestions of a conflict false

On November 6, 2026, ProPublica reported that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's 2026 financial disclosure shows much of his wealth held in Arthur Ventures, the venture firm he co-founded, and that between $18.1 million and $64.4 million of those holdings are in AI companies, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Save Our Parks. Burgum leads the administration's effort to make federally managed public lands available for AI data centers. Under his confirmation ethics agreement he resigned his positions at Arthur Ventures but kept his financial interests there. An Interior Department spokesperson says Burgum has met his ethics and disclosure obligations and that any suggestion his decisions are driven by personal investments is false and completely unsupported. Ethics lawyers told ProPublica his investments appear acceptable under the criminal conflict-of-interest law, while Richard Painter, President George W. Bush's chief ethics lawyer, says Burgum should stay away from such decisions. Rep. Jared Huffman says Burgum is in it for himself.