Outdoor retailer REI announced it was retracting its endorsement of Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum after his first two months on the job.
REI was one of many companies that signed onto a letter sent to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in January encouraging the senators to confirm Burgum to the Cabinet. The letter showered Burgum with praise as a nominee with a “history of support for outdoor recreation, the outdoor recreation economy, and the protection of public lands and waters,” and toted his “commitment to supporting outdoor recreation as an economic driver and a meaningful way to connect communities.”
However President and CEO Mary Beth Laughton took to social media Wednesday to refer to the letter as a “mistake.” Laughton joined REI after the letter went out to the ENR committee.
“Many of you shared your disappointment and your…
