Painter says that in the Bush administration Burgum would have been told 'he has to recuse'
Richard PainterUniversity of Minnesota law professor and former chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, in comments to ProPublica
Richard Painter tells ProPublica that Burgum should avoid decisions that benefit an industry in which he is heavily invested, and that in the Bush administration the answer would have been that he has to recuse.
Responding to
Doug Burgum stands to profit personally from the data center build-out he is promoting on public lands, through AI investments held in Arthur Ventures.
“In the Bush administration, the answer would've been 'he has to recuse,' I can guarantee you that.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
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.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
ProPublica reports that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's 2026 financial disclosure shows much of his wealth held in Arthur Ventures, the firm he co-founded, and that between $18.1 million and $64.4 million of those investments are in AI companies according to an analysis by Save Our Parks. It includes a statement from an Interior Department spokesperson and comments from ethics lawyers, and also reviews AI holdings of other administration appointees.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Painter tells ProPublica he agrees that Burgum should avoid making decisions benefiting an industry in which he is heavily invested, and that as the ethics lawyer he would insist Burgum stay away from it.
After the quotation
ProPublica reports that a review of recent Interior secretaries' holdings suggests some potential conflicts are common, but that Trump's appointees are more heavily invested in the industries they oversee than their predecessors.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Interior Secretary Doug Burgum's promotion of AI data centers on federally managed public lands while he holds tens of millions of dollars in AI investments through Arthur Ventures. Painter says Burgum should stay away from decisions benefiting the AI industry and would have been required to recuse under the Bush administration, which condemns his involvement.
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- Doug Burgum
More from this case
Read the full caseHuffman says 'Data Center Doug is in it for himself'
“Like every other goon in this administration, Data Center Doug is in it for himself. He wants to cover our public lands with AI data centers that will make him and Trump's tech buddies richer.”Read statement
Save Our Parks asks whether Burgum manages public lands 'for the public or for his own personal investment portfolio'
Save Our Parks
“Americans deserve to know whether the man in charge of our parks and public lands is managing them for the public or for his own personal investment portfolio.”Read statement
Interior says any suggestion Burgum's decisions are driven by his investments is 'false and completely unsupported'
U.S. Department of the Interior
“Any suggestion that his office decisions are driven by personal investments are false and completely unsupported.”Read statement
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- Painter says that in the Bush administration Burgum would have been told 'he has to recuse'
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The Dispute Index. "Painter says that in the Bush administration Burgum would have been told 'he has to recuse'". First published: 2026-11-10. Last updated: 2026-11-10. https://disputeindex.com/events/8510-richard-painter-tells-propublica-that-burgum-should-avoid