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| Ryan Zinke’s Legal Troubles Are Far From Over | Ryan Zinke’s Legal Troubles Are Far From Over |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Ryan Zinke’s time in the Trump cabinet is ending, but his legal troubles are likely far from over. | Ryan Zinke’s time in the Trump cabinet is ending, but his legal troubles are likely far from over. |
| When Mr. Zinke was forced to resign as interior secretary on Saturday, he joined a line of officials who have left the Trump administration under a cloud of ethics inquiries. But the investigations into Mr. Zinke’s actions are likely to continue, according to Delaney Marsco, the ethics counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan watchdog group. And if those inquiries turn out badly for him, Mr. Zinke still faces the threat of criminal penalties that could hobble his political future. | When Mr. Zinke was forced to resign as interior secretary on Saturday, he joined a line of officials who have left the Trump administration under a cloud of ethics inquiries. But the investigations into Mr. Zinke’s actions are likely to continue, according to Delaney Marsco, the ethics counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan watchdog group. And if those inquiries turn out badly for him, Mr. Zinke still faces the threat of criminal penalties that could hobble his political future. |
| “It’s not a Get Out of Jail Free card to just quit,” Ms. Marsco said. | “It’s not a Get Out of Jail Free card to just quit,” Ms. Marsco said. |
| The most damaging could be a Justice Department examination of a real estate deal in Montana involving Mr. Zinke’s family and a development group backed by David J. Lesar, the chairman of Halliburton, the giant energy services company. | The most damaging could be a Justice Department examination of a real estate deal in Montana involving Mr. Zinke’s family and a development group backed by David J. Lesar, the chairman of Halliburton, the giant energy services company. |
| If the department finds that Mr. Zinke willfully used his official position to influence the deal and benefit himself, he could be prosecuted under a federal conflict of interest law and, if convicted, face a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine for each violation. The attorney general has discretion over whether to bring the charges. | If the department finds that Mr. Zinke willfully used his official position to influence the deal and benefit himself, he could be prosecuted under a federal conflict of interest law and, if convicted, face a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $50,000 fine for each violation. The attorney general has discretion over whether to bring the charges. |
| Before President Trump announced his departure on Twitter, Mr. Zinke, 57, had been a man accustomed to winning. As a politician, he had leapt up the Republican pole like a fire on a hot day, rising from freshman state senator to cabinet secretary in a matter of eight years. As a youth, he was president of his high school class and the broad-shouldered captain of an undefeated football team; in college, he was a well-regarded athlete; in the Navy, he had a 23-year career as a SEAL. Friends in Montana have long said they expected him to run for governor in 2020. | Before President Trump announced his departure on Twitter, Mr. Zinke, 57, had been a man accustomed to winning. As a politician, he had leapt up the Republican pole like a fire on a hot day, rising from freshman state senator to cabinet secretary in a matter of eight years. As a youth, he was president of his high school class and the broad-shouldered captain of an undefeated football team; in college, he was a well-regarded athlete; in the Navy, he had a 23-year career as a SEAL. Friends in Montana have long said they expected him to run for governor in 2020. |
| The ethics inquiries may now block that path — or they may not. | The ethics inquiries may now block that path — or they may not. |
| “Zinke could be elected again in Montana,” said Bob Brown, a former president of the State Senate who helped him get started in politics. | “Zinke could be elected again in Montana,” said Bob Brown, a former president of the State Senate who helped him get started in politics. |
| The two men have had a bit of a split recently over support for Mr. Trump — Mr. Zinke does, Mr. Brown does not. But Mr. Brown said Montana has shifted to the right in recent years, just like Mr. Zinke, and that he believes Mr. Zinke’s prospects in the state will survive the investigations. | The two men have had a bit of a split recently over support for Mr. Trump — Mr. Zinke does, Mr. Brown does not. But Mr. Brown said Montana has shifted to the right in recent years, just like Mr. Zinke, and that he believes Mr. Zinke’s prospects in the state will survive the investigations. |
| “He’s extremely ambitious,” said Mr. Brown. “He’s big and dynamic and has got a winning smile, and he just radiates confidence.” | “He’s extremely ambitious,” said Mr. Brown. “He’s big and dynamic and has got a winning smile, and he just radiates confidence.” |
| Not everyone is as sanguine. Land Tawney is the president of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a conservation group that has been intensely critical of Mr. Zinke’s environmental policies. Mr. Tawney pointed out that Montanans tend to be particularly offended by political corruption, a legacy of the days when a giant copper company controlled the state, paying off politicians and polluting the land. | Not everyone is as sanguine. Land Tawney is the president of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a conservation group that has been intensely critical of Mr. Zinke’s environmental policies. Mr. Tawney pointed out that Montanans tend to be particularly offended by political corruption, a legacy of the days when a giant copper company controlled the state, paying off politicians and polluting the land. |
| “He has really shown propensity to listen to those who want to exploit our resources,” Mr. Tawney said of Mr. Zinke, “and that’s just not the Montana way.” | “He has really shown propensity to listen to those who want to exploit our resources,” Mr. Tawney said of Mr. Zinke, “and that’s just not the Montana way.” |
| Through a spokeswoman, Heather Swift, Mr. Zinke declined to be interviewed for this article. “I wouldn’t expect anything from the Sec until the workweek,” Ms. Swift wrote in a text message on Sunday, referring to Mr. Zinke. | Through a spokeswoman, Heather Swift, Mr. Zinke declined to be interviewed for this article. “I wouldn’t expect anything from the Sec until the workweek,” Ms. Swift wrote in a text message on Sunday, referring to Mr. Zinke. |
| He has, however, told a number of significant players in Montana politics recently that he is not planning to run for governor. Some of them speculate that he may be waiting for the investigations to run their course, so that he can begin a campaign in top form with those troubles behind him. Others say they think he may be more interested in staying in Washington than in returning to state politics after his resignation takes effect at the end of the year. | He has, however, told a number of significant players in Montana politics recently that he is not planning to run for governor. Some of them speculate that he may be waiting for the investigations to run their course, so that he can begin a campaign in top form with those troubles behind him. Others say they think he may be more interested in staying in Washington than in returning to state politics after his resignation takes effect at the end of the year. |
| In November, after news reports that he had approached Fox News about a job with the network, his office said the idea was “laughably false and belongs in The Onion.” | In November, after news reports that he had approached Fox News about a job with the network, his office said the idea was “laughably false and belongs in The Onion.” |
| As interior secretary, Mr. Zinke was the steward of 500 million acres of public land, and was responsible for striking a balance between conservation and extraction of resources on those lands. Allegations of unethical behavior began plaguing his tenure soon after it began. | As interior secretary, Mr. Zinke was the steward of 500 million acres of public land, and was responsible for striking a balance between conservation and extraction of resources on those lands. Allegations of unethical behavior began plaguing his tenure soon after it began. |
| Earlier this year, Politico wrote that Mr. Lesar, the Halliburton chairman, was lending financial support to a large hotel and shopping development in Whitefish, Mont., Mr. Zinke’s hometown — a project that would make property owned by Mr. Zinke significantly more valuable. Mr. Zinke’s wife had pledged in writing to allow the developer to build a parking lot that would help make the project possible. | Earlier this year, Politico wrote that Mr. Lesar, the Halliburton chairman, was lending financial support to a large hotel and shopping development in Whitefish, Mont., Mr. Zinke’s hometown — a project that would make property owned by Mr. Zinke significantly more valuable. Mr. Zinke’s wife had pledged in writing to allow the developer to build a parking lot that would help make the project possible. |
| Because Halliburton is the nation’s largest oil services company and Mr. Zinke regulates the oil industry on public land, the deal raised questions about conflict of interest. | Because Halliburton is the nation’s largest oil services company and Mr. Zinke regulates the oil industry on public land, the deal raised questions about conflict of interest. |
| Beyond the real estate deal, the Interior Department’s inspector general has been examining the secretary’s decision to block two Native American tribes from opening a casino in Connecticut after his office was lobbied heavily by MGM Resorts International, which planned to build a casino not far from the proposed tribal one. | Beyond the real estate deal, the Interior Department’s inspector general has been examining the secretary’s decision to block two Native American tribes from opening a casino in Connecticut after his office was lobbied heavily by MGM Resorts International, which planned to build a casino not far from the proposed tribal one. |
| Those two investigations are among more than a dozen that have been opened into Mr. Zinke’s behavior as interior secretary. Some found no wrongdoing and were closed; others have stalled after a lack of cooperation from the secretary’s office. | Those two investigations are among more than a dozen that have been opened into Mr. Zinke’s behavior as interior secretary. Some found no wrongdoing and were closed; others have stalled after a lack of cooperation from the secretary’s office. |
| Marilyn Glynn, who was acting director of the Office of Government Ethics under President George W. Bush, called the number of investigations “very unusual.” “I don’t recall anyone having as many different problems,” she said. | Marilyn Glynn, who was acting director of the Office of Government Ethics under President George W. Bush, called the number of investigations “very unusual.” “I don’t recall anyone having as many different problems,” she said. |
| As for whether federal prosecutors would use their discretion to pursue the real estate deal, “the more likely it is in the public eye, the less likely they would be to drop it — in a normal Department of Justice,” Ms. Glynn said. “It’s hard to say under this regime.” | As for whether federal prosecutors would use their discretion to pursue the real estate deal, “the more likely it is in the public eye, the less likely they would be to drop it — in a normal Department of Justice,” Ms. Glynn said. “It’s hard to say under this regime.” |