Politico had a follow up article on the relationship of Ryan Zinke and Haliburton.
Here is the article from Politico:
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke met at department headquarters in August with Halliburton Chairman David Lesar and other developers involved in a Montana real estate deal that relied on help from a foundation Zinke established, according to a participant in the meeting and records cited by House Democrats late Thursday.
Zinke, Lesar and the others later discussed the development project over dinner that night, the participant in the meeting confirmed to POLITICO.
The new details raise further questions about Zinke's involvement in the project, and whether his conversations with the developers — especially in Interior's office — violated federal conflict of interest laws given Halliburton’s extensive business before this department. POLITICO reported Tuesday that a foundation Zinke established a decade ago agreed to let the Lesar-backed development build a parking lot on foundation land.
Zinke has told POLITICO that he was no longer involved in the foundation’s operations since becoming secretary in March 2017, and that has he “resigned as president and board member” of the foundation when he joined President Donald Trump's Cabinet. But he has not said whether he continued holding discussions with the developers, who are pursuing a multi-use project in his hometown of Whitefish.
Zinke was scheduled to meet at the Interior Department with Lesar and his son and lead project developer Casey Malmquist on Aug. 3, according to an email from his scheduler cited by the House Democrats. About six weeks later, he received an email from Malmquist with plans for the development, which is expected to include shops and a microbrewery — a project initially proposed by Zinke more than five years ago.
A week after Zinke received Malmquist’s email, Zinke's wife, Lola, signed a letter of intent in her role as president of the foundation agreeing to let the developers use its land.
“Ryan — our development plan and your park project are an absolute grand slam,” Malmquist wrote in one email to Zinke released via the Freedom of Information Act. “I have never been more excited about a development as I am about this one.”
Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and other Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee wrote to the inspector general's office that the email and meeting with Malmquist and the Lesars raise "troubling questions about whether Secretary Zinke has used federal resources and his position as Secretary of the Interior for personal financial gain and whether he or other DOI staff is actively trying to cover it up.”
“The American people must be able to trust that Department of the Interior decisions that affect the nation’s welfare on a daily basis are not compromised by individual self-enrichment,” they wrote. “We urge you to investigate the contents of the Politico report and the legal and professional questions raised here at your earliest convenience.”
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to request for comment
Well, more corruption and self dealing. Ryan Zinke is the first Secretary of the Interior whose Blaze Orange and Hunter Green Vest when turned inside out has Haliburton monogrammed on the left breast pocket. We truly do have a Manchurian candidate of the extraction industry running the department that is supposed to be protecting OUR Public Lands.
Zinke is not our friend, he is not or advocate, he will not do good by us. Don't carry water for him.
Cheers,
Mark
Ye Shall Be Free To Roam....
Here is the article from Politico:
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke met at department headquarters in August with Halliburton Chairman David Lesar and other developers involved in a Montana real estate deal that relied on help from a foundation Zinke established, according to a participant in the meeting and records cited by House Democrats late Thursday.
Zinke, Lesar and the others later discussed the development project over dinner that night, the participant in the meeting confirmed to POLITICO.
The new details raise further questions about Zinke's involvement in the project, and whether his conversations with the developers — especially in Interior's office — violated federal conflict of interest laws given Halliburton’s extensive business before this department. POLITICO reported Tuesday that a foundation Zinke established a decade ago agreed to let the Lesar-backed development build a parking lot on foundation land.
Zinke has told POLITICO that he was no longer involved in the foundation’s operations since becoming secretary in March 2017, and that has he “resigned as president and board member” of the foundation when he joined President Donald Trump's Cabinet. But he has not said whether he continued holding discussions with the developers, who are pursuing a multi-use project in his hometown of Whitefish.
Zinke was scheduled to meet at the Interior Department with Lesar and his son and lead project developer Casey Malmquist on Aug. 3, according to an email from his scheduler cited by the House Democrats. About six weeks later, he received an email from Malmquist with plans for the development, which is expected to include shops and a microbrewery — a project initially proposed by Zinke more than five years ago.
A week after Zinke received Malmquist’s email, Zinke's wife, Lola, signed a letter of intent in her role as president of the foundation agreeing to let the developers use its land.
“Ryan — our development plan and your park project are an absolute grand slam,” Malmquist wrote in one email to Zinke released via the Freedom of Information Act. “I have never been more excited about a development as I am about this one.”
Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and other Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee wrote to the inspector general's office that the email and meeting with Malmquist and the Lesars raise "troubling questions about whether Secretary Zinke has used federal resources and his position as Secretary of the Interior for personal financial gain and whether he or other DOI staff is actively trying to cover it up.”
“The American people must be able to trust that Department of the Interior decisions that affect the nation’s welfare on a daily basis are not compromised by individual self-enrichment,” they wrote. “We urge you to investigate the contents of the Politico report and the legal and professional questions raised here at your earliest convenience.”
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to request for comment
Well, more corruption and self dealing. Ryan Zinke is the first Secretary of the Interior whose Blaze Orange and Hunter Green Vest when turned inside out has Haliburton monogrammed on the left breast pocket. We truly do have a Manchurian candidate of the extraction industry running the department that is supposed to be protecting OUR Public Lands.
Zinke is not our friend, he is not or advocate, he will not do good by us. Don't carry water for him.
Cheers,
Mark
Ye Shall Be Free To Roam....
