Donald Hodel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 45th United States Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office February 8, 1985 – January 20, 1989 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | William P. Clark Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Lujan Jr. |
| 4th United States Secretary of Energy | |
| In office November 5, 1982 – February 7, 1985 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | James B. Edwards |
| Succeeded by | John S. Herrington |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Donald Paul Hodel May 23, 1935 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Barbara Stockman (1957–2012) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) University of Oregon (LLB) |
Donald Paul Hodel (born May 23, 1935) is an American former politician who served as United States Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the Interior. He was known during his tenure as Secretary of the Interior for his controversial "Hodel Policy," which stated that disused dirt roads and footpaths could be considered right-of-ways under RS 2477.
The Washington Post reported a factual error regarding a leak of false information by a State Department staffer, which the staffer falsely attributed to Hodel, that rather than reduce the production of CFCs to prevent ozone layer destruction, people should wear hats and use sunscreen. Hodel never made that statement.
Hodel’s press secretary, David Prosperi, got wind of the story about to run in The Washington Post, and called to intervene but they ignored his attempt and ran with the leak from State falsely attributed to Hodel.