Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke on Tuesday praised President Donald Trump’s purge of agency inspectors general, asserting that he recommended the action after being “harassed” during his tenure as Interior secretary, describing the agency’s then-top attorney in vitriolic terms.
Zinke served as Interior secretary during Trump’s first administration until he resigned in early 2019, as he faced more than a dozen investigations into allegations he violated ethics policies.
The Office of Inspector General determined that Zinke failed to adhere to ethics standards in incidents involving a land deal and a Native American casino, and accused him of a “lack of candor” during the probes.
When asked about challenges current Interior Secretary Doug Burgum could face, Zinke appeared to attack former Interior acting Inspector General Mary Kendall, though not by name.
