As Zinke departs, Trump says he will name new interior secretary next week

By Lesley Wroughton

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke testifies before a Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the FY2019 funding request and budget justification for the Interior Department, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who has aggressively sought to roll back Obama-era environmental protections, will be leaving his post at the end of the year, President Donald Trump tweeted on Saturday, the latest high-profile departure from his administration.

 

Trump did not give a reason for Zinke's departure. However, the former Navy Seal and ex-congressman from Montana has faced scrutiny of his use of security details, chartered flights and a real estate deal.

 

"Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation," Trump said on Twitter. "The Trump administration will be announcing the new secretary of the Interior next week."

 

Zinke has run the Interior Department, which oversees America’s vast public lands, since early 2017. He has aggressively pursued Trump’s agenda to promote oil drilling and coal mining by expanding federal leasing, cutting royalty rates, and easing land protections despite environmental protests.

 

Zinke, 51, was among Trump's most active Cabinet members, cutting huge wilderness national monuments in Utah to a fraction of their size and proposing offshore oil drilling in the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic. He became a darling of the U.S. energy and mining industries and a prime target for conservationists and environmental groups.

 

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer welcomed Zinke's departure in a tweet: "Ryan Zinke was one of the most toxic members of the cabinet in the way he treated our environment, our precious public lands, and the way he treated the govt like it was his personal honey pot."

 

"The swamp cabinet will be a little less foul without him," Schumer said.

 

Jamie Williams, president of the non-profit Wilderness Society, said he expects Zinke's deputy and likely successor, David Bernhardt, to continue with the "drill everywhere" agenda.

 

"Deputy Secretary Bernhardt has made it his mission to stifle climate science and silence the public so polluters can profit," said Williams. "Unfortunately, even with Secretary Zinke out, the Interior Department remains disturbingly biased in favor of special interests over the health of American communities and the public lands that they love."

 

Critics have questioned Zinke's ethics and some of his moves triggered government investigations.

 

In July, the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General began investigating a Montana land deal between a foundation Zinke set up and a development group backed by the chairman of oil service company Halliburton Co, which has business with the Interior Department.

 

In late October, that investigation was referred to the U.S. Justice Department for a possible criminal investigation, according to multiple media reports. The Department of Justice and the Interior Department have declined to comment.

 

There are two other investigations of Zinke’s conduct. Interior’s watchdog is examining whether the department purposely redrew the boundaries of Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to benefit a state lawmaker who owns adjoining property.

 

It is also probing Zinke's decision to block casinos proposed by two Connecticut Native American tribes. Critics allege he made that move, overruling his staff's recommendation, shortly after he met with lobbyists for MGM Resorts International, which owns a new casino in the region.

 

Zinke has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

 

Earlier this year, Interior’s inspector general wrapped up two other investigations related to Zinke's travel expenses.

Those probes found that a $12,000 private flight he took after a meeting with a professional hockey team could have been avoided and that the security detail he took on a family vacation to Greece and Turkey cost taxpayers $25,000.

 

Trump, who has repeatedly praised Zinke, said on Nov. 5 that he would look at the allegations.

 

Zinke's departure makes him the ninth Cabinet-level official to leave since Trump took office two years ago. Other departures have included Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-16

 

 

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-16

 

 

You need some team player

 

Jose, "don't make a mistake-o" Canseco,

 

He is rested, ready, and willing. Give this roid boy, nose packer, a job. Donald, you won't regret it. Unlike the others he needs a job and he will stay on board, go down with the ship. HooYaa!

 

 

The very definition of a swamp critter.

 

He has to bug out of town before he's called to testify.

 

No doubt one of trump's "best people'?

 

 

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out wonder what’s coming next probably some one who wants to clear cut to prevent forest fires 

16 minutes ago, Tug said:

wonder what’s coming next probably some one who wants to clear cut to prevent forest fires 

 

Someone, who believes in sweeping the forest floors? Maybe an expert from Finland?

 

Nah, just some coal magnate...Robert Murray?

 

https://www.nrdc.org/trump-watch/trump-taking-orders-coal-tycoon

 

 

 

 

When the 'rebuilding' of Puerto Rico after the hurricane last year is given a closer look Zinke could very well find himself under indictment.

Briefly, he hired a small-time company in his home town (Whitefish, Montana, population 6,400) to handle the rebuilding of PR.  The owner of the company is probably someone he's known since kindergarten.

 The project was waaaaay out of their league, and the $$$ was big -- Federal relief big!

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 20187 yr by bendejo

Deputy Secretary David L. Bernhardt seems like a "natural" fit?

 

As a lobbyist - yes, he had experience in Interior under Bush 2 - Bernhardt's clients included Halliburton, Cobalt International Energy, Samson Resources, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America.

US has around 300 million population. There must be someone of integrity that can last one term. Or not.

1 hour ago, Prissana Pescud said:

US has around 300 million population. There must be someone of integrity that can last one term. Or not.

Hilary Clinton was Secretary of State for 4 years from 2009 to 2013. That is a full 4 year term.

 

Mind you she is from the wrong party and is 71 so it is unlikely to happen.

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

As Zinke departs, Trump says he will name new interior secretary next week

Can't let the Swamp drain - whose the next deserving lobbyist?

 

Boy, that Trump must be busy hiring all the best people. And then firing them again almost immediately, or they leave on their own accord. Or they are arrested and thrown in jail by Mueller. And then he has to find new 'best people' all over again, and again, and again. Must be hard to keep finding the best people. Scraping the bottom of the barrel comes to mind.

10 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

The very definition of a swamp critter.

 

He has to bug out of town before he's called to testify.

 

No doubt one of trump's "best people'?

 

 

OK...I get it, he is not a Geologist. But what is someone who graduates from a university where he majored in Geology?

59 minutes ago, Ulic said:

OK...I get it, he is not a Geologist. But what is someone who graduates from a university where he majored in Geology?

 

Oh, oh, oh, I know...A College Graduate.

 

He has an MBA and an MS in "Global Leadership", he was a Navy Seal for 22 years, then a Congressional Rep.

 

To me, someone who claims to be a "Geologist" four thousand times might have been actually employed in that field for at least a few years? 

 

In most colleges, "Geology" is derisively referred to as "Rock for Jocks"

A week to name a replacement? Must be  getting difficult  to find anyone  who wants a temporary  job.

20 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

US has around 300 million population. There must be someone of integrity that can last one term. Or not.

 

Of course there is, and Trump is good at separating the wheat from the chaff—then hiring the chaff, the best chaff.

Anyone wanna bet, how many names will come up, this time and how many people want to suddenly "spend more time with their family"...

4 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Anyone wanna bet, how many names will come up, this time and how many people want to suddenly "spend more time with their family"...

.....and less time in prison.

 

On 12/16/2018 at 10:46 AM, mtls2005 said:

Deputy Secretary David L. Bernhardt seems like a "natural" fit?

 

As a lobbyist - yes, he had experience in Interior under Bush 2 - Bernhardt's clients included Halliburton, Cobalt International Energy, Samson Resources, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America.

 

Hey, The Swamp ain’t gonna fill itself!

22 hours ago, rudi49jr said:

Boy, that Trump must be busy hiring all the best people. And then firing them again almost immediately, or they leave on their own accord. Or they are arrested and thrown in jail by Mueller. And then he has to find new 'best people' all over again, and again, and again. Must be hard to keep finding the best people. Scraping the bottom of the barrel comes to mind.

Yes that orange boy changes his staff and advisers more often than I change my jocks (underwear)