(Bloomberg) -- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has notified the White House that he intends to step down amid federal investigations into his travel, political activity and potential conflicts of interest, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Zinke’s decision, expected to be announced on Wednesday, comes as Democrats, who’ve vowed to grill the him over his conduct, are about to take control of the House of Representatives, raising the prospect of heightened oversight -- and a crush of legal bills from defending himself. Concern about all the scrutiny and legal costs on the horizon were factors in Zinke’s decision to quit, said the people, who asked not to be identified to discuss it.
Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation.......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018
The impending departure also emerges as President Donald Trump grapples with other changes to his Cabinet that underscore the challenges of filling vacancies in a tumultuous administration. On Friday, the president announced that budget director Mick Mulvaney would take over as chief of staff, replacing John Kelly, whose ouster on Dec. 8 touched off a roller-coaster search to fill the key White House post.
Trump’s been aware of Zinke’s plans for several days, and a search for a replacement is under way, the people said.
‘Energy Dominance’
Zinke had championed using federal lands to pursue U.S. “energy dominance,” and that agenda will be continued by his likely successor as acting Interior Secretary: David Bernhardt, the agency’s No. 2 official. As deputy he’s played a key, behind-the-scenes role in shaping the department’s policies.
Other potential contenders for the post include Cynthia Lummis, a former congresswoman from Wyoming; Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes; Adam Laxalt, the Nevada attorney general who lost his bid to be governor ; Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter; former Nevada Senator Dean Heller, who lost his re-election bid in November; and outgoing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. The role is typically filled by Western politicians who have experience navigating the vast federal lands.
Zinke had emerged as the chief target for Democrats who will control the House in the new Congress. The swirl of ethics probes also made him a lightning rod in the Trump Cabinet.
In November, he publicly tangled with Representative Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the Democrat set to lead the House panel that oversees the Interior Department. After Grijalva wrote an opinion piece in USA Today calling on Zinke to resign over a series of “ethical and managerial failings,” Zinke fired back on Twitter, alleging “drunken and hostile behavior” by the Democrat.
The Interior Department’s inspector general had initiated at least seven investigations directly targeting Zinke. A separate independent federal investigative agency also has opened as many as six other inquiries into allegations Zinke engaged in improper political activity -- a volume that invited comparisons to the ousted Environmental Protection Agency chief, Scott Pruitt.
Trump has offered tepid praise for Zinke, saying in November that “he is doing an excellent job” -- but the president also said he was “looking at” allegations about his Interior chief.
Zinke played a leading part in the president’s campaign to roll back environmental regulations and promote American energy development. The Interior Department moved to auction off more oil leases, ended a moratorium on new sales of federally owned coal, and repealed mandates governing drilling. But the agency also continued work to advance renewable power, culminating in a record-setting sale on Friday of offshore wind leases near Massachusetts.
A former Navy SEAL and congressman from Montana, Zinke frequently invoked his military experience to make the case for making the U.S. “the strongest energy superpower this world has ever known,” arguing that U.S. soldiers shouldn’t “have to fight overseas for a commodity we have here.”
Zinke’s focus on Trump’s energy agenda won cheers from oil, gas and mining advocates, who credit the Trump administration with seeking to balance recreation and conservation with prudent development on public lands.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-apos-interior-chief-step-135924905.html
If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
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