Trump energy aide Brittany Kelm leaves White House for Sable Offshore after helping the company, raising questions about close government-private sector ties
Brittany Kelm has left the White House for a senior role at Sable Offshore Corp, an oil company whose California operations were advanced during her time as a senior energy adviser.
Kelm left the administration on August 14 and is set to serve as Sable’s vice president of policy and commercial in Washington, D.C.
Her move has sparked questions due to the close relationship between the Trump administration and the fossil fuel industry, particularly because of Kelm’s role around Sable on the government’s behalf.
Brittany Kelm exits the White House after helping Sable Offshore
Politico reported that Kelm was a key player in restarting Sable’s offshore oil operations off the California coast. The company’s offshore platforms had sat idle for years after a 2015 oil spill.
Despite opposition from California regulators and local officials, Sable bought the infrastructure in 2024 and sought to bring the system back online.
She publicly celebrated the administration’s work with Sable. In a LinkedIn post, Kelm wrote, “We’ve unleashed California offshore oil production! It was a beautiful day with the Administration celebrating the accomplishments of Sable Offshore Corp. for domestic energy production and national security.”
Kelm’s resume extends beyond Sable and at the White House, she worked on oil and gas development, including efforts involving Venezuela’s oil sector.
In her farewell post, Kelm said, “The list of energy projects we have permitted and gotten to (final investment decisions) is too long” and also described herself as a “deal closer.”
Why Brittany Kelm’s move to Sable Offshore is controversial
The controversy centers on the timing of Kelm’s move and the fact that Sable became one of the companies she worked to help while in government.
Five ethics experts told Politico that government ethics rules restrict what Kelm can do after leaving office. They claimed the rules could prohibit her from working on certain matters involving Sable and impose restrictions on her appearing before federal agencies for issues she handled under the Trump administration.
Davina Hurt, director of government ethics at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, said it is concerning when an official directly joins a company whose interests they handled while working in the government.
“That is what sort of has red flashing lights to me about the ethical implications of that change,” he said.
One oil industry executive also criticized the dynamic, telling the outlet, “The revolving door between government and the private sector is nothing new, but it’s troubling how brazenly and frequently it’s been on display of late.”