Secretary Zinke … “There’s No Smoke without Fire”

Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior, will leave his post at end of year, Trump says.

 

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has galloped rough shod across the Nation.  His hoof prints Jackassare all over hill and dale through amber waves of grain and purple mountain majesties … running Atillaamok, preparing to lay waste and scorch the Earth like a little Attila the Hun of  environmental nonchalance.

Flags flying when he’s home, will the fifes, drums, and bugles soon be announcing his eminence also?   Does he have a “personal” limo driver, or a fawning “factotum”  to shine his boots?  Is there an “HRH” (His Royal Highness) after his signature?  One would think those are the facts from observing his short tenure thus far.

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.Zinke Flag

With flags flapping in the breeze, Zinke imperiously parades his pompous presence.  But woebegone the tomorrows, the brown Gobi air, the toxic rancid waters, and poisoned soils left behind … remnants of his sorrowful legacy and our unfortunate inheritance.   Jackass FlatsWhen he’s gone the way of all bureaucrats, his flags may still be flying but hopefully only over the Jackass Flats of his personal, royal creation.  

Investigation  · JUNE 4, 2018 By Greg Zimmerman  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s tenure at the Department of the Interior has been marked by a series of ongoing scandals, with the secretary’s actions coming under unprecedented SmokeFirelevels of scrutiny by internal government investigators. In just over one year in office, Secretary Zinke is already facing 12 investigations into his conduct, with nine investigations confirmed and at least another three investigations requested. By comparison, the four secretaries of the Interior to precede Secretary Zinke — Secretaries Jewell and Salazar who served under President Obama, and Secretaries Kempthorne and Norton who served under President Bush — are known to have faced a combined 11 investigations into their conduct.  See more details here.   A visualization/chart is appended.

Andre F. Miller writes for the “Center for Western Priorities” May 11Secretary Zinke’s Four Lies and a Truth Testimony before Congress highlights his strained relationship with facts.”

  1. Bears Ears decision “restored” 400,000 acres back to wilderness
  2. Oil, gas, uranium didn’t play into Bears Ears decision
  3. We can’t fund the Land & Water Conservation Fund because of park maintenance
  4. Maintenance proposal is the largest investment in public lands in American history

Truth: Communities play an important role in oil and gas leasing decisions

Investigations into Interior Secretaries since 2001

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke faces 12 government investigations, more than the last four secretaries combined

Investigations Days in office
Secretary Ryan Zinke 12

(9 confirmed | 3 pending)

456 days

(as of May 30th, 2018)

Secretary Sally Jewell 0 1,380 days
Secretary Ken Salazar 4 1,544 days
Secretary Dirk Kempthorne 2 959 days
Secretary Gale Norton 5 1,886 days

The 12 known investigations into Secretary Zinke’s conduct at the Interior Department

Status Investigator
  • Senior Executive Service Reassignments
Open & closed Inspector General (final report)
  • Threats to Senator Lisa Murkowski
Open & closed Inspector General
  • Improper use of chartered flights
Open & closed Inspector General (final report)
  • Hockey team speech Hatch Act violation
Open & closed Special Counsel
  • Questionable use of DOI-owned vehicles
Open Inspector General
  • Connecticut casino decision
Open Inspector General
  • Scrub of climate change from science reports
Open Inspector General
  • Decision to halt drilling, mining impact studies
Open Inspector General
  • Florida announcement Hatch Act violation
Open Special Counsel
  • Zinke’s investment in firearms company
Requested Inspector General
  • USGS science data ethical breach
Requested Inspector General
  • Hatch Act violation on PA campaign stop
Requested Special Counsel

Please stay tuned. We’ll soon return to “Zinke” … “Rub a dub dub three Goodfellas in a tub” … “Bears Ears and Uranium One” … and other musings.

rub-a-dub-dub-three-rats-in-a-tub

Ryan Zinke, Secretary of the Interior, will leave his post at end of year, Trump says

 

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Wayne L. Wickizer - MSAJ Major, U.S. Army Special Forces Ret. Former FBI Agent 1970-76

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