Trump appointee reportedly demanded special firefighting treatment for his ranch
Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment Michael Boren should be investigated following allegations that he pressured U.S. Forest Service officials to escalate resources and divert government aircraft to help contain a seven acre fire near his Idaho mega-ranch, according to a complaint filed with the Agriculture Department’s Office of Inspector General by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The IG must determine whether the agency deployed its resources to respond to the fire near Boren’s property according to agency protocol and best practices, and if not, whether the elevated agency response was based on incompetence or favoritism by Boren and others.
President Trump appointed Boren to serve as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, which oversees the Forest Service, despite his seeming lack of experience. According to The Washington Post, while Boren was visiting his 480-acre Hell Roaring Ranch in Idaho this past July, he made multiple calls asking agency personnel to alter their plans and send extra aircraft to address the fire near his property, which includes a $1.1 million air hangar, even though the fire was easily accessible on the ground. Ultimately, about nine aircraft—some of which were diverted from fighting fires in other parts of the state—responded, costing nearly $115,000 in taxpayer money. Current and former Forest Service officials who commented on the operation noted that it was outsized, atypical and potentially problematic.
“The Inspector General must investigate whether Undersecretary Boren risked public safety to protect his property,” said CREW President Donald K. Sherman. “Not only are Boren’s priorities in doubt, but his actions raise questions about his ‘scant’ qualifications for his role. His reported actions could be the result of incompetence, deliberate malfeasance or both. Regardless, they are inexcusable.”
The allegations of Undersecretary Borden’s repeated intervention to deploy additional Forest Service resources to fight the fire near his property suggest potential violations of several rules that govern the conduct of government employees. In particular, The Standards of Ethical Conduct require that “[e]mployees shall act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual.” The primary federal financial conflict of interest statute also establishes that executive branch officials must strictly observe the limitations of their involvement in any matter that involves their personal interests, including property, and may only participate if they have sought and received prior approval of a waiver of these requirements.
“Americans have repeatedly seen the devastation wildfires can cause,” said Sherman. “The public should be able to trust that the government officials tasked with protecting them from those fires are using government resources for that purpose, not as a personal fire department. It is imperative that the IG investigate Undersecretary Boren’s alleged conduct to ensure accountability.”
Screenshot of Michael Boren from KTVB