Courtney Bourgoin, courtney.bourgoin@sierraclub.org, (202) 495-3022
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, just as Ryan Zinke finished testifying before the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee concerning Donald Trump’s FY19 proposed budget, the Washington Post reported that Interior’s sloppy record keeping has once again prevented the Inspector General from examining Zinke’s potentially illegal actions. According to the Washington Post, “The Department of the Interior’s internal watchdog office has concluded it cannot determine whether an unusual and controversial reassignment of dozens of senior employees ran afoul of federal law — because top Interior officials failed to document how they made their decisions.”
These reassignments are especially questionable given Zinke’s repeated comments dismissing diversity and that he had abruptly reassigned 33 senior Interior executive staffers, nearly 50-percent of whom were minorities.
A previous investigation into Zinke’s abuse of taxpayer funds for private plane travel was also disrupted due to Zinke’s sloppy record keeping.
Zinke once again struggled during his testimony today. He again lied about his department altering a National Park Service document. He lied about the rational to open Bears Ears to oil and gas development, only to dismiss his own Department’s emails when reporting disproved his claims. And Zinke attacked the Endangered Species Act- despite the Act’s 90% success rate. It’s clear he has intentions to gut safeguards for endangered species-- removing protections for threatened species and appointing a known anti-ESA politician to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
In response, Sierra Club Dalal Aboulhosn released the following statement:
"Zinke continues to brazenly lie and deceive, while purposefully obscuring recordkeeping to cover-up his unethical and potentially illegal actions, all while he seeks to leverage his position for higher office. It’s time for Zinke to pack up his stuff and ride out on the horse he came in on.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.