Trump's Interior Chief to Step Down as Pressure Mounts From Ethics Inquiries

[demmiblue]

Source: 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.

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.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-15/trump-s-interior-chief-said-to-step-down-amid-ethics-inquiries

---

Link to tweet

[underpants]

1. Total scumbag

[Cha]

43. And, look at the list

of Scum in the waiting room.

[underpants]

2. It only looks bad from the outside

[turbinetree]

3. LOCK HIM UP............................

[Soxfan58]

4. Thoughts and prayers

zinke!

[janterry]

5. Mulvaney for Interior?

or perhaps Jared?

[watoos]

10. Yeah, one more job for Jared.

[tanyev]

31. Surely Meredith McIver is available.

If she actually exists.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. WaPo breaking

Ryan Zinke to resign as interior secretary, Trump says; Zinke had faced allegations of misconduct involving a land development deal

By Washington Post Staff
December 15 at 9:20 AM

The president said in a tweet Saturday that Zinke would leave the administration at the end of the year.

Zinke’s personal conduct and management decisions have spurred at least 15 investigations, several of which have been closed.

The most serious one, which the Interior Department’s acting inspector general referred to the Justice Department, focuses on whether the secretary used his office for personal gain in connection with a land deal he forged in Whitefish, Mont., with Halliburton Chairman David Lesar and other investors.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/12/15/ryan-zinke-to-resign-as-interior-secretary-trump-says-zinke-had-faced-allegations-of-misconduct-involving-a-land-development-deal/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.845944cd9f7a

[Lonestarblue]

7. His window of opportunity for grifting is closing.

And he’ll be richly rewarded by the industry lobbyists whose every wish to destroy federal lands he granted.

[mpcamb]

22. Chase the money. Keep him in court. Don't let him lobby. Make it a blueprint for cabinet grifters.

[Duppers]

30. +100

[sinkingfeeling]

8. He's done enough damage.

[Andy823]

9. My question is

Can the Democrats still investigate him for what he has done?

[watoos]

11. Why not?

Man there is going to be a need for more lawyers.

[paleotn]

14. Yes.

Many in the current Congress have chomped at the bit for 2 years now to re-re-re-re-investigate servergate. A scandal so dead it's nothing but a dark stain on the ground and a few bleached bones. Even as lame ducks they dragged Comey in for more questions / kabuki theater. Zinke is more than fair game.

[paleotn]

12. Old saying....

Gettin' while the gettin' is good. The new Congress will chew him a new asshole and he'll get zero cover from his boss. He has his own problems.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

13. No more stinky Zinke

Though I'm sure Shit Stain has someone else in mind just as bad.

[Glimmer of Hope]

24. Walker is on the short list. So there you go.

[DemocracyMouse]

27. Walker. Gross. Hates unions. Hates the people.

Loves his drunk, overpaid buddies with the cigars.

[ProudLib72]

38. You have got to be shitting me! Walker?

Does the fat orange slob know anyone, anyone at all, who isn't corrupt to his bones?

[Glimmer of Hope]

39. There are others that I am not familiar with but I am sure they are "the best":

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Trump has been notified Zinke plans to step down and has begun searching for replacement.<br><br>Names that have emerged include Nevada’s Dean Heller, Nevada’s Adam Laxalt, Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, Idaho’s Butch Otter, Utah’s Sean Reyes and others.</p>— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) <a href="

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[SergeStorms]

15. Knowing Trump...

Scott Walker will be the new Secretary of the Interior. He totally fucked up Wisconsin, now it's on to bigger and better things in Washington. Who better to help Trump with his ultimate power grab?

[central scrutinizer]

16. Sarah Palin?

The Klondike Kardashian probably needs a new way to grift by now

[Totally Tunsie]

17. Yeah, THIS is the one I've been waiting for!

I'm not the only one either...MontanaMama must be thrilled!

[rurallib]

18. Lots of rats leaving the sinking SS Trump

and I do mean rats

[Perseus]

19. And lots of rats auditioning for the the job

The biggest rat I am sure will accept, Scott Walker...

I don't think Hollywood script writers could have come with a soap opera like the one we are living, it would be categorized as fantasy and would not last a season. This is unreal, when will this nightmare end?

[UpInArms]

20. I hope that Zinke gets his prison suite

In my lifetime

[BigmanPigman]

42. Me too!!!!

[llmart]

21. Oh boy...

Trump's "best people" are all having to leave because, well, you know investigations AND Pelosi. They're all tainted and are trying to run before the investigations get really intense. However, you can run but you can't hide.

This shit stain was a disaster from day 1. It's hard to get excited though because he'll just be replaced with another shit stain. That's all that Trump knows.

Hey, maybe Iwanka is interested. She loves interior design and probably is too stoopid to know what the department does.

[Tribalceltic]

23. we need to take every single penny he has

in civil forfeiture to make an example of him. Let him go live among the homeless.

[DemocracyMouse]

28. Why hurt the homeless?

[FakeNoose]

29. We need to know, how much did he benefit from those land deals

I wouldn't be surprised if he took bribes, or maybe he's in on some deals as a secret partner. There's a serious case against Zinke, and he's done much damage to our National Parks. I hope they keep him tied up in court for years.

[cstanleytech]

25. Translation: I am trying to get out of being prosecuted by quitting now and hoping the Democrats

are willing to let it go so I can slither back under my rock to hide until its safe to come out.

[Delarage]

26. F@cK Him

....and the horse he rode in on

[link:|

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. Remember Zinke's special flag?

At the Interior Department's headquarters in downtown Washington, Secretary Ryan Zinke has revived an arcane military ritual that no one can remember ever happening in the federal government.

A security staffer takes the elevator to the seventh floor, climbs the stairs to the roof and hoists a special secretarial flag whenever Zinke enters the building. When the secretary goes home for the day or travels, the flag — a blue banner emblazoned with the agency's bison seal flanked by seven white stars representing the Interior bureaus — comes down.

In Zinke's absence, the ritual is repeated to raise an equally obscure flag for Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wheres-zinke-the-interior-secretarys-special-flag-offers-clues/2017/10/12/68672476-aeb2-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6e0975d3e325

[beachbum bob]

33. I still want to have explanation how a nobody electrical outfit in his home town got $$$ for Puerto

Rico rebuilding after the hurricane

[Cryptoad]

34. another Crook bites the dust,,,,,,,,

[EleanorR]

35. How many now have resigned plagued by scandal, are under indictment, are headed to prison?

Apparently trump hires don't know how to Be Best!

[TheCowsCameHome]

36. Can we just stop this "Step Down" crap? Please?

Every time one of these elite dirtbags QUITS or GETS FIRED we see this stupid make-nice expression.

I HATE it.



Now back to your regularly scheduled misery , courtesy DJT.

Thank you.

[DFW]

37. Asking if Zinke has/had conflict-of-interest issues.........

.....is like asking if there is sand in the Sahara.

i.e., I wouldn't exclude the possibility.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

40. None of the Bundys were available to fill the opening? NT

[Apollyonus]

41. Another rat jumping off the SS Trumpanic