BLM

Senior Counsel

Jeff serves as Senior Counsel to PEER, where he specializes in civil service, scientific integrity, and whistleblower protection issues. Jeff was PEER’s Executive Director from 1997 to 2019 and its Pacific Director from 2019 to 2025. Previously, he was the Policy Director and a staff attorney at the Government Accountability Project, representing whistleblowers from both the public and private sectors. Before coming to DC, Jeff worked in California state government for 17 years, mostly in the State Legislature as counsel to various committees where he drafted hundreds of laws on topics ranging from energy conservation to the rights of employed inventors. Jeff served stints as a deputy district attorney and an appellate court clerk. He is a graduate of the California Correctional Officers Academy.

BLOG | Is Pendley Indispensable at BLM or Just Undetectable?

by Jeff Ruch | October 9, 2020
A federal court in Montana is now determining which of William Pendley actions as illegal head of the Bureau of Lang Management (BLM) should be invalidated ...

BLM Won’t Stop Illegal Grazing  

by PEER |
Range Manager Facing Suspension After Appealing to Pendley ...

BLOG | Pendley Debacle Unmasks David Bernhardt’s Legal Charades

by Jeff Ruch | September 30, 2020
Judge rules WIlliam Pendley cannot serve as a de facto Director of the BLM despite the anemic arguments to the contrary by David Bernhardt ...

COMMENTARY | BLM Forges Ahead With Nevada Oil and Gas Leasing

by Chandra Rosenthal | September 22, 2020
Public lands in Nevada are being leased for oil and gas extraction despite little financial benefits to government but big losses to the public ...