DENVER—A report from the Interior Department Inspector General found that former secretary Ryan Zinke misused his official position, violated his ethical obligations, and did not comply with his duty of candor when negotiating with a developer about a potential brewpub in Whitefish, Montana.
The IG also found that Zinke knowingly made “incorrect and incomplete” statements to Interior Department ethics officials about his involvement with the project. Zinke also directed his subordinates to arrange a meeting with the developers in his government office, followed by a dinner and personal tour of the Lincoln Memorial. The report contradicts Zinke’s previous statements to the press, in which he denied having any involvement in the brewpub’s development.
The Center for Western Priorities released the following statement from Executive Director Jennifer Rokala:
“The Inspector General just confirmed what we’ve known all along—corruption was rampant in the Trump administration. Self-dealing like this was par for the course. Ryan Zinke only got fired because he got caught.
“It’s unfortunate that Attorney General Garland declined to pursue a criminal case against Secretary Zinke. The IG report makes it clear that Zinke broke the law when he ordered his staff to facilitate a meeting and private tour with the developers, one of whom was a top executive at Halliburton. Even though Trump is no longer in office, the Justice Department has an obligation to hold his administration accountable when cabinet secretaries flout the law and their ethics pledges.”
Learn more
- Zinke linked to real estate deal with Halliburton Chairman [Politico, June 19, 2018]
- Zinke’s Halliburton mess deepens [Politico, June 21, 2018]
- Emails raise ethics questions about Zinke’s ties to Montana real estate deal [HuffPost, June 21, 2018]
- Interior Secretary Zinke resigns amid investigations [Washington Post, December 15, 2018]