|
Zinke is already being investigated by the Interior Department's
inspector general in connection with his travels and the use of
private charter flights, amid heightened scrutiny into private
plane use by administration officials.
The Campaign for Accountability complained last week that a
speech Zinke gave on June 26 to the Vegas Golden Knights, a
National Hockey League team based in Las Vegas, violated the
Hatch Act barring executive branch employees from engaging in
political activity.
The team is owned by Bill Foley, chairman of Fidelity National
Financial Inc and a donor to Zinke’s congressional campaigns.
The Office of Special Counsel's Hatch Act unit, which is
independent from the Justice Department, said in an email to
Daniel Stevens, executive director of the Campaign for
Accountability, that it received its Hatch Act complaint "and
will open a case file to address this matter."
A spokeswoman for the agency declined to comment on the case.
Interior Department officials said the speech did not violate
any laws, rules or regulations.
Melinda Loftin, the Interior Department's designated ethics
official and Edward Keable, director of Interior's departmental
ethics office, said in a joint statement that Zinke's use of
chartered flights and engagements were cleared by ethics and
legal departments.
"The trip - including the Secretary's address to the hockey
developmental squad - was completely compliant with all
applicable laws, rules, and regulations," they said.
On Friday, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price
resigned after an outcry over his use of costly private charter
planes for government business.
The Campaign for Accountability questioned Zinke's travel.
"Contrary to the conclusion drawn by Interior officials, a trip
to offer a motivational speech to a hockey team does not appear
to fall within the mission of the Department of Interior -
'protecting America’s Great Outdoors and Powering Our Future,'"
the watchdog group wrote.
In June, the Office of Special Counsel determined that Trump's
social media director Dan Scavino violated the Hatch Act in
April in calling for Trump supporters to defeat a Republican
congressman at the polls.
(Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Andrea Ricci and
Susan Thomas)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
