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On October 23, in Washington, Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Lockkeeper's House on the newly restored mall (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images )
The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of the Interior has referred to the Justice Department one of the ongoing investigations into the conduct of Secretary Ryan Zinke, for the purpose of a supplement of Investigation, according to two people close to the record.
Mary L. Kendall, Deputy Inspector General of the Interior, who currently serves as Interim Inspector General, is conducting at least three investigations involving Zinke. These included his involvement in a real estate transaction in Montana and the decision not to grant permission to two tribes to operate a casino in Connecticut. Individuals who spoke about the condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak in public, did not specify which investigation had been referred to the Department of Justice.
A spokesman for the inspector's office declined to comment on the case, saying, "I can not comment on any investigation." The Ministry of Justice declined to comment, and the Interior did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A referral to the Department of Justice means that prosecutors will investigate whether a criminal investigation is warranted. Although the agency's Inspector General reports regularly on the results of his investigations, he refers cases to the Department of Justice only if he has determined that there may be criminal offenses.
A senior White House official, speaking under the guise of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the case, said that the White House had understood that it was not safe for them to do so. The investigation aimed to determine whether the secretary "used his office to self-help".
Since taking office in March 2017, Zinke has been closely scrutinized for his travel practices and other aspects of his performance, although his staff have dismissed these allegations as political motivations. Earlier this month, the inspector general's office released a report saying that Zinke's decision to allow his wife to travel with him was causing concern among departmental ethics officials. Zinke is one of many cabinet members who could quit after the midterm elections, according to officials in the administration.
Zinke is actively seeking a political candidate who could replace Kendall, a career manager who has been in an acting position since 2009. Two weeks ago, US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, announced that one of its main collaborators, Suzanne Israel Tufts, would be the acting Inspector General of the Interior. But Zinke's aides disavowed this idea a few days later, describing Carson's email as "100% false".
The Inspector General of the Interior continued to examine Zinke's conduct even as the debate over Kendall's replacement took place in public.
One of the allegations being investigated is the role played by the secretary in a real estate development agreement in Montana, supported by David J. Lesar, president of oil services company Halliburton. The commercial and commercial park, known as 95 Karrow, should include several businesses and would be close to several parcels of land owned by Zinke and his wife. The agreement is for land owned by a foundation now headed by Zinke's wife, Lola, whom the secretary headed before joining the Trump administration.
Although Zinke has stepped down as president of the Far North Park Foundation for the Peace of Veterans, documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that he had met with Lesar, his son, and the main project manager, Casey Malmquist, since taking office. He also corresponded with Malmquist about the design of the project, reveal the recordings.
Halliburton's operations are directly affected by many of Interieur's policies, including rules on how to proceed with oil and gas drilling, as well as on public lands and federal waters open to energy exploration and development.
In addition, the inspector's office is investigating Zinke's participation in his department's refusal to sign a Connecticut casino contract involving the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes. Interior career staff members had recommended to approve the request of the tribes to jointly manage the casino, which would have been competing with a MGM Resorts International casino located in Massachusetts, the United States. on the other side of the border. But MGM and two Nevada senators lobbied the permit, but Zinke did not grant it.
The Inspector General of the Interior has assigned documents to the MGM, according to two people informed of the investigation who requested anonymity on the grounds that the investigation is still ongoing.
Asked about the assignment earlier this month, MGM Resorts International spokeswoman Debra DeShong said in an email, "We are not in a position to comment in light of the ongoing litigation by the Mashantucket tribe Pequot and the state of Connecticut.
Zinke's critics welcomed the idea of a possible investigation by the Ministry of Justice.
"The timing of Secretary Zinke's removal of the acting Interior Inspector General from the Interior and replacing her with a politician appointed earlier this month raises serious questions about whether the Secretary was trying to Avoid control, "said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Defense Group. Priorities, in a statement. "If the Inspector General of the Interior is unable to hold Secretary Zinke accountable without political interference, it is time for the career prosecutors of the Ministry of Justice to take over."
Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
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