Brooke
Rollins
REPUBLICAN
Texas
Appointed Position:
United States Secretary of Agriculture
Overview
Brooke Rollins has led two of the most influential think tanks in Republican politics: the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) and America First Policy Institute (AFPI). Both organizations are backed by Tim Dunn, a Texas oil magnate with substantial influence over the state’s politics.
The Facts
Rollins continues to receive income from the TPPF through BLR Ideas Corp., a consulting firm she registered in Texas shortly after establishing the AFPI. Between 2021 and 2023, she received an overall $625,000 from the TPPF for consulting services.
In this same period, Rollins was CEO of the AFPI while also serving on the TPPF board of directors. In 2023, she gained the additional title of TPPF “senior advisor.”
As Rollins takes a position with authority over biofuels and environmental standards, it is also worth knowing:
Since 2005, Rollins’ husband Mark has been an executive at Hillwood Energy, a privately-held oil and gas company owned by Ross Perot Jr. Mark Rollins is also president and director of HKN Energy Ltd., an oil and gas company focused on the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
In December 2024, HKN Energy was one of nine companies to request $24 billion in compensation following legal disputes surrounding their contracts in the region.
Is there a list of current BLR Ideas Corp. clients, or is the TPPF the firm’s only client?
What specific role does Rollins play in the TPPF as its senior adviser? Does she consult any other nonprofits within the State Policy Network, of which the TPPF is a member?
Questions to Track