The DOJ's investigation on the former chief of the interior goes before a grand jury

Legal proceedings to determine if the former Secretary of the Interior Ryan ZinkeRyan Keith ZinkeOvernight Energy: Zinke Joins Trump Related Lobbying Firm | Senators Stress Threat of Invasive Species | Republicans call for Green New Deal vote in House of Representatives Zinke and Lewandowski join Trump veterans lobby. Does an appointment to the Presidency justify the risk? MORE lied to federal investigators about a decision he had made while he was running the agency is underway, according to the Washington Post.

Prosecutors have already begun to present evidence to a grand jury over whether Zinke had falsely claimed to investigators his decision to deny an application by two Indian tribes to operate a casino in Connecticut, two sources said. Post.

The Office of the Inspector General of the Ministry of the Interior referred the case to the Ministry of Justice after its investigators began to worry that Zinke had lied to them about the way he made his decision about the casino.

The investigation follows a decision made in September 2017 by the interior department to refuse to approve a petition brought by two tribes – the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan – to run a casino in Connecticut .

The interior had tentatively approved the proposal in the summer of 2017, before the mega-casino MGM began to press against it. MGM submitted that following the request of the tribes would give them an unfair advantage over a casino located 20 km from the proposed tribal enterprise site.

The two tribes argued that the overthrow of the Interior occurred due to political pressure, and the Mashantucket Pequot and the state of Connecticut sued.

Zinke resigned in December after dealing with numerous controversies relating to ethics, including the DOJ's investigation reports.

He stated that he was unaware of any investigation and that he had not been contacted by the investigators. Zinke did not return a request for comment.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the agency could not comment on issues in dispute or under investigation.

Although the grand jury procedure is not made public, the Post reported that Zinke had not been called to appear before the grand jury from Friday.