Senior Trump administration officials leaving their positions after short tenures is the norm at this point, not the exception. This Saturday, President Donald Trump abruptly tweeted that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was the next to go, abandoning his position by the end of the year.
He added that the administration would soon announce a replacement, explaining:
‘Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke 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.’
In reality, Zinke has faced over a dozen poignant ethics investigations, including at least one probe that’s been referred to the Justice Department.
Among other issues, his charitable foundation has stood to benefit from a Montana development backed by Halliburton, the largest oil services company in the United States — and one of the interests under Zinke’s supervision in his capacity as Secretary of the Interior.
He has also faced scrutiny over using the government for even more acute personal benefit, with his wife using government vehicles and $12,000 in government cash going towards a charter plane bill associated with a talk Zinke had with a hockey team owned by a major donor.
The Campaign Legal Center’s ethics counsel Delaney Marco explained her take:
‘There are these laws and these ethical norms that are being blown to bits by these Cabinet secretaries. And that’s the pattern, the problem that keeps us up at night.’
During Zinke’s time on the job, he’s supervised a significant chunk of the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back environmental protections through means including slashing the size of protected areas. Those efforts will likely continue under his successor – as will the corruption, considering precedent and the oil and gas company ties his immediate underling has.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
