Trump's DOJ Blocked Investigation Of Former Int. Secretary Zinke, Blocked IG Reporting On Case
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen deferred a bid from line prosecutors to move forward with possible criminal charges against former interior secretary Ryan Zinke, saying they needed to gather more evidence and refine the case, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The move late last year by Rosen, an appointee of President Trump, angered some career prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and has delayed for months the release of an Interior Department Office of Inspector General report about Zinke’s conduct.
At issue is whether Zinke made false statements to Interior investigators who were looking into his decision not to grant a petition by two Indian tribes to operate a commercial casino off reservation land in East Windsor, Conn. he Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes’ casino plans had prompted pushback by MGM Resorts International, which operates a gambling facility across the state border in Massachusetts. The tribes’ proposal became a source of contention at Interior and the White House during Trump’s first months in office. Prosecutors convened a grand jury in February 2019 to examine the matter.
A Justice Department official said that lawyers from the Criminal Division presented the case to Rosen’s office in late 2019 and that “substantial questions arose about the strength of the case.” The official said the division “agreed to do additional work.” Rosen argued that lawyers needed to get more evidence and hone their case for charging Zinke with lying to federal investigators, according to people familiar with the matter.
EDIT
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/12/justice-department-zinke/
= new reply since forum marked as read
