House Natural Resources Committee Reveals Bribes in Trump’s Interior Department

Evidence of a 2017 quid pro quo for development permits connected to a massive master planned community proposed in the Arizona desert led the House Natural Resources Committee to take unprecedented action in 2022.

2 minute read

May 15, 2022, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The San Pedro River where it passes through Saint David, south of Benson, Arizona.

The San Pedro River where it passes through Saint David, south of Benson, Arizona. | Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock

Ben Adler reports for Yahoo News on the latest development in a development controversy in Arizona that dates to the Trump administration.

The House Natural Resources Committee announced its first-ever criminal referral to the Department of Justice on Wednesday, asking it to investigate whether Mike Ingram, an Arizona real estate developer and a campaign donor to Donald Trump, bribed public officials during Trump’s tenure as president, including then-Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.

According to Adler, the House committee has been investigating the circumstances surrounding a 2017 decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) “to reverse its previous opposition to a proposed housing development in Benson, Ariz., called Villages at Vigneto.”

The Villages at Vigneto provided a steady stream of controversy back in 2019, making the Planetizen newsfeed most recently in 2021 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revoked the development’s permits in July 2021.

A statement by Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) lambasted the evidence of a quid pro quo as evidence that “the previous administration cast career staff expertise aside while they handed out federal agency decisions to Trump’s buddies and big donors on a pay-to-play basis.”

“Allowing the development of 28,000 homes, golf courses, resorts, and other commercial buildings to suck the San Pedro River dry during a time of unprecedented drought is nonsensical on its face and agency staff were right to be concerned,” added Rep. Grijalva to voice opposition to the project in the statement.

The investigation was launched when a whistleblower by the name of Steve Spangle, a now-retired Field Supervisor at FWS’ Arizona office, revealed that he’d been directed by then-Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to reverse the previous decision by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Tony Davis reported on the bombshell revelation for the Arizona Daily Star in April 2019.

Bernhardt was appointed to run the Interior Department after serving under the scandal-plagued leadership of predecessor Ryan Zinke. Before joining the Trump administration, Bernhardt worked as a lobbyist for several oil and gas companies.

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 in Yahoo News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Color-coded map of labor & delivery departments and losses in United States.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace

In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and harrowing close calls are a growing reality.

5 hours ago - Maine Morning Star

Street scene in Kathmandu, Nepal with yellow minibuses and other traffic.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs

Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

7 hours ago - Fast Company

Bike lane in Washington D.C. protected by low concrete barriers.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint

Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.

June 15 - The Washington Post