18-Year Interior Dept. Lawyer Resigns, Cites Rule-of-Law Breaches

John Murdock spent 18 years inside the Interior Department's legal office before writing, in a resignation letter obtained by the Guardian and Public Domain, that the agency under the Trump administration engaged in a "deeply troubling assault on the rule of the law." Murdock, a self-described conservative Christian who joined the department's legal staff in 2002, stepped down officially on September 30, 2026, according to the letter, which he first sent to his supervisor earlier this year.

What does Murdock's resignation letter actually allege?

The letter, as reported by the Guardian, cites "glaring legal flaws" Murdock says he observed during the Trump administration's tenure at Interior. He singled out the department's push on offshore oil and gas drilling, the broader effort to expand fossil-fuel production, and what he characterized as disregard for environmental regulation. "We are headed in the wrong direction," Murdock wrote.

Which Interior agency drew his specific concern?

Murdock's letter points to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, the Interior sub-agency that oversees offshore energy leasing. He said he grew "especially concerned about the actions of a top official" at BOEM, though the Guardian's account does not name that official or detail the specific legal flaw alleged at the bureau. BOEM administers the statutory process for leasing federal waters to oil and gas companies, a process Murdock's legal office would have reviewed for compliance.

"We are headed in the wrong direction." — John Murdock, resignation letter

How does this fit the broader pattern of Interior departures?

Murdock's exit is not isolated. The department has lost thousands of employees since Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, began cutting federal headcount last year, according to the Guardian. Murdock acknowledged the pattern directly: "Sadly, I am but one of many civil servants who have departed the government under less than ideal circumstances in recent years. If my story helps others or in some small way assists in preserving the rule of law, I am willing to share it."

By the numbers

• 18 years: Murdock's tenure in Interior's legal office, starting in 2002
• September 30, 2026: effective date of his resignation
• Thousands: Interior employees who have left the department since DOGE-driven cuts began in 2025, per the Guardian

Why does a self-identified conservative's resignation carry different weight?

The Guardian's framing emphasizes Murdock's political identification — a conservative, Christian, career attorney — as distinct from the department's more frequently reported departures among scientists and career civil servants. That detail matters for how the letter is read inside Washington: a dissent from within the administration's own ideological base reads differently than criticism from opponents of the administration's energy policy generally.

What comes next for Interior's legal compliance questions?

The Guardian's report does not indicate whether Interior or BOEM has responded to Murdock's specific allegations, nor does it identify any pending litigation tied to the letter.

What to watch

• Whether Interior or BOEM issues a formal response to Murdock's allegations
• Whether other attorneys or career staff in Interior's legal office follow with similar public resignations
• Whether the unnamed BOEM official Murdock referenced faces any inspector-general or congressional inquiry
• Whether offshore lease sales proceed on the timeline Interior has previously announced

The Guardian reported this story in partnership with Public Domain; neither outlet's account, as sourced here, specifies additional documentation beyond the letter itself.