Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
According to reports from the Washington Post, Donald Trump is increasingly concerned about allegations of misconduct by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, and Trump has asked aides for more information about Zinke’s shady land deal with the chairman of Halliburton.
Earlier this week, the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General transferred its investigation to the Department of Justice, indicating that Zinke may be facing criminal charges. The report comes as Zinke is facing mounting pressure over his abuses of taxpayer funds and violations of ethics rules.
In response, Lena Moffitt, Senior Director of the Sierra Club's Our Wild America Campaign, released the following statement:
“You know you’re in trouble when even Donald Trump is worried that you’re a crook. Like Scott Pruitt before him, Zinke’s been caught with his hand in the cookie jar one too many times and now he may finally be facing the consequences. Zinke has repeatedly abused his power to enrich himself and his friends in the fossil fuel industry, violating ethics rules and possibly the law. It’s long past time for Trump to show him the door.”
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.