Ryan Zinke broke ethics rules while leading Trump's Interior Dept., watchdog finds

[demmiblue]

Source: WaPo

While serving as Interior Department secretary under Donald Trump, Ryan Zinke broke federal ethics rules repeatedly by improperly participating in real estate negotiations with the chairman of the energy giant Halliburton at the time and other developers, the department’s internal watchdog found in a report released Wednesday.

Interior Department Inspector General Mark Greenblatt found that while Zinke was in office, he sent dozens of emails and text messages, held phone calls and met in his office with developers to discuss the design of a large commercial and residential development in his hometown of Whitefish, Mont.

Zinke continued to represent his family’s foundation in the negotiations for nearly a year, investigators found, even after committing to federal officials that he would resign from the foundation and would not do any work on its behalf after he joined the Trump administration.

Zinke could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/02/16/zinke-inspector-general-report/

[RockRaven]

1. Duh? He was identified as breaking rules right and left from his first day.

And he got away with it. No consequences.

[2naSalit]

4. And now he's trying to get elected to...

Montana's newly restored second House seat. He has a good chance of taking it because the Rs have constructed a way to oust all Dems from all public office here, been using it for the last few elections.

[2naSalit]

2. Put that fucker in prison...

Or at least do something that keeps him from running for our newly restored second House seat!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please!!

[LaMouffette]

8. Amen to that! I have a horrible feeling he will get elected, too. The Repub voters here in Montana,

or maybe in any state, truly do not seem to care who they vote into office, just as long as they are Republican.

[Mysterian]

9. Even Maryland Matt got elected to Congress

I weep for Montana.

[Lonestarblue]

11. I've often said that an armadillo with an R by its name would get elected in my district.

Actually, an armadillo might be smarter than my rep—Roger Williams, who has not been known to actually do anything in Congress other than to take time off from his car dealerships to go to DC to vote whichever way he’s told to vote.

[peppertree]

16. It's amazing how the GOPee skates on brainwashing alone.

But then, their voters are so easy.

[soldierant]

23. Of course, any tiine one is looking at a position currently held by a Republican

and which would stay Republican if that person were replaced, one must remind oneself to be careful what one wishes for.

Remember when we were all so glad that Boehner disappeard? But we got Ryan. Then, after Ryan - of course now he's a minority leader, but that is not guaranteed - McCarthy. And don't think it couldn't get still worse, because it definitely could.

[2naSalit]

24. Montana...

Just had a second House seat restored by census data, it was taken away 30 years ago. There is no sitting Rep in that seat as we have just had it restored for this election.

[soldierant]

26. That is true. But it is an open seat.

If this undesirable candidate is knocked out of the race, another undesirable candidate will be found.

[Kali]

3. No way! Really?

[Ocelot II]

5. Of course he did. Which of TFG's appointees didn't?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Stinky Zinke

[sakabatou]

7. Since when did Trump and his cronies care about rules?

[Mysterian]

10. I'm sure a sternly worded letter will fix this!

Ethics rules are a joke with little or no repercussions for corrupt conduct.

[tonekat]

12. The Rank and File of the Fed Govt...

...has to take ethics courses every year. Seeing these appointees break the rules and get away with it is disheartening.

As with all the defeated former guy's appointees, they saw their positions as just a nice office to grift in.

[2Gingersnaps]

13. Is anyone surprised?

How else do you get to be in the Cabinet of the worst criminal in modern history without being an ethical black hole. He is as interchangeable as Corey Lewandowski (schmuck at large, not Cabinet), Betsy DeVos, Wilbur Ross, Tom Price, Alex Acosta, Elaine Chou, Ben Carson, Rick Perry, Mike Pompeo, Jeff Sessions, Mnuchin, Sonny Perdue.....Good God, it makes your keys greasy typing them out.

[PSPS]

14. ... (toothless) watchdog finds.

[turbinetree]

15. Lock Him Up............

[progressoid]

17. I'm SHOCKED!11!!

[Jerry2144]

18. No way! I can't believe that!

There. Do you think I have a chance to win an Oscar for best acting in a blog post?

[lame54]

19. Will their be any arrests on this totem pole?

[Hekate]

20. As was reported repeatedly in real time

[Evolve Dammit]

21. They disbanded the Ethics Rules as soon as the Orange One was sworn in. Wake me up when something

happens to any corrupt appointee.

[NullTuples]

22. Doesn't matter unless he broke laws AND is prosecuted.

That's the point; that's what we SHOULD have learned from those four years.

Members of Congress, the President and his Cabinet need to have to adhere to laws with stiff penalties. And that would include the AG & their responsibilities to investigate and prosecute.

Without that, they really can do pretty much whatever they want to do. The Trump Administration was our getting to see the man behind the curtain in American governance.

[monkeyman1]

25. Old new's !! WaPo running out of crap to lie about ?