The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to confirm former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead the Department of Interior. During his confirmation hearing, Burgum emphasized a commitment to advancing U.S. energy production in President Donald Trump’s administration.

Emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal Doug Burgum as North Dakota governor catered to the whims of oil and gas executives while leveraging those connections to expand his political profile.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, as President Donald Trump's interior secretary. The vote was 79 to 18. Burgum, 68, will lead an agency that guides the use of 500 million acres (202 million hectares) of federal and tribal land,