Ryan Zinke, the Republican nominee for Montana’s new House seat, lied to the Interior Department’s internal watchdog during a probe of an tribal casino application while he led the department under then-President Donald Trump, according to an official report released Wednesday.
Zinke and his chief of staff “made statements to [Interior’s Office of the Inspector General] with the overall intent to mislead them,” the OIG’s report said.
“We found that both Secretary Zinke and the [chief of staff] made statements that presented an inaccurate version of the circumstances in which the [Interior Department] made key decisions,” the watchdog’s report added.
“As a result, we concluded that Secretary Zinke and the [chief of staff] did not comply with their duty of candor when questioned.”
Zinke’s alleged lies came in response to questions about his interactions with department lawyers and…
