Alleged Abuse of Position by Secretary Zinke

We initiated this investigation based on information we received while investigating U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Ryan Zinke’s use of noncommercial aircraft for U.S. Government travel. This investigation focused on whether Secretary Zinke abused his position by having his family members travel with him in Government vehicles, whether he asked that his wife, Lolita Zinke, be appointed as a DOI volunteer to legitimize her travel, and whether he requested a Government cell phone for her. We also examined Secretary Zinke’s use of his protective service detail, including during a vacation the Zinkes took to Turkey and Greece in August 2017. In addition, we reviewed his office’s purchase of secretarial challenge coins (small coins bearing an organization’s emblem or logo, given as tokens of recognition or appreciation), and an allegation that a DOI employee resigned because he made her walk his dog while at work. We determined that the DOI Office of the Solicitor’s Division of General Law approved Lolita Zinke and other individuals to ride in Government vehicles with Secretary Zinke. Although this violated a DOI policy prohibiting non-Government employees from riding in Government vehicles, officials we spoke to noted that the Secretary was in a unique position because he was required to use security vehicles and could not use a personal vehicle if he wanted his wife to travel with him. The Zinkes reimbursed costs associated with Lolita Zinke’s travel in DOI vehicles when required. In addition, Lolita Zinke ultimately did not become a volunteer. While Secretary Zinke confirmed that his staff had researched the implications of making her a volunteer, he denied that it was an effort to circumvent the requirement to reimburse the DOI for her travel. We also did not find that he had requested a Government cell phone for her. While we found no prohibition against a security detail protecting Secretary Zinke on his vacation, we learned that the U.S. Park Police had no finalized policy governing the detail’s activities. The detail, which was unarmed, cost the DOI over $25,000. In addition, Secretary Zinke told his detail on one occasion to drive a non-Government employee to the airport, but he was later told that this was not appropriate and it has not happened since. The remaining allegations were unfounded. We provided this report to the Deputy Secretary of the Interior.