"Recent broadsides from Washington’s top prosecutor, Jeanine Pirro, against the Interior secretary echoed what agency staffers have said privately." "Interior Department staffers were optimistic after Doug Burgum was confirmed to lead the agency in 2025, believing he had strong executive experience as governor of energy-rich North Dakota who led successful tech startups and businesses. Some staffers were alarmed that some employees were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements, according to two former staffers. Former employees accuse Burgum of surrounding himself with a toxic leadership team, leading to staffers fleeing. Daniel Lippman, Ian M. Stevenson, and Ben Lefebvre report for E&E News August 7, 2026.