INTERIOR SECRETARY RYAN ZINKE TO LEAVE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
DECEMBER 15, 2018 SCI LEAVE A COMMENT
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Interior Secretary Zinke will be leaving his post at the end of the month, according to a tweet sent out by the President early Saturday morning.

In his tweet, President Trump said that Zinke “will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation.”

The shake-up at the Interior Department is part of a broader shake-up of his Cabinet and senior staff, according to The Hill. Trump has nominated William Barr to become the new attorney general following Jeff Sessions‘s ouster last month. Trump on Friday also named Mick Mulvaney, the current White House budget chief, as acting chief of staff to replace John Kelly who is leaving at the end of the month.

During his tenure at Interior, Secretary Zinke, a former Congressman from Montana, implemented several measures designed to enhance wildlife habitat conservation and increase public access to hunting and fishing opportunities.

“I know I speak for all members of SCI when I say how much we appreciate the leadership Secretary Zinke has shown in matters of wildlife conservation,” said Paul Babaz, President of Safari Club International. “He has led the way in assuring the federal government works hand in hand with state wildlife management professionals to conserve one of America’s greatest heritages – our wildlife.

“I am proud to serve on one of the advisory committees established by Secretary Zinke. As a fellow hunter, the Secretary truly understands the mindset and the needs of our country’s outdoor sportsmen and women. He will truly be missed,” Babaz concluded.

It’s the new era of Soviet style politics in America. If you don’t like someone just hold investigations and hurl accusations at them until they are forced to resign.

quote:

Originally posted by Northtexas12:
It’s the new era of Soviet style politics in America. If you don’t like someone just hold investigations and hurl accusations at them until they are forced to resign.

Alinsky’s Tenth Rule.

Interesting times we live in.

quote:

Originally posted by Northtexas12:
It’s the new era of Soviet style politics in America. If you don’t like someone just hold investigations and hurl accusations at them until they are forced to resign.

That's it men.

And I hear people lament all the time that we can't get "good men" to run for office......

.

. . . or maybe he just wasn’t a good man.

Exactly. Jines has hit it on the head.

.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
. . . or maybe he just wasn’t a good man.

Time will tell. If my understanding is correct, he has been cleared in investigations thus far. Of course, this does not mean he will he cleared on the next.

It does seem to be a tactic of the left to make serving such an unbearable process that no one would want to serve. It is not new.

While nothing really useful to African Hunting was accomplished by Zinke...he also did no harm. I am worried that we may not get a hunter as the next.

Almost no one can stand the slime cast by the MSM these days if they dare disagree with their (the MSM) mantra. And they are universally rabid anti-African Hunting.

In today’s world...you cannot even find a Republican or even a Fox News Commentator willing to stand up for African hunting. Laura Ingram is an antihunter.

Politically...not sure where we (international hunters) go from here.

Exactly what Trump calls it
Witch hunts and in today’s overlapping law jungle, anyone can simply be prosecuted
Any lawyer will tell you that
We are headed into some kinda political nightmares in future and law hell as well

. . . or maybe he just wasn't a good man.

Zinke's Legal Troubles Far From Over

I had hoped for better.

Jeff

quote:

. . or maybe he just wasn't a good man.

So I take it Hilary would have been the better choice?

I thought it was apparent . . . my comment was directed at Zinke.

If the best you can do is source an article in the New York Times...? Time will tell. Zinke's leaving could be a combination of several things. He obviously disagreed with the President on imports of African trophies. Court decisions have also hampered his ability to do the job he wanted to do. As a private citizen, he has more freedom from interrogation than he does as a government employee. If the charges are politically motivated, then at least some of them will not be pursued. And it seems hard for me to agree with the Brown comment that Montana has taken a sharp turn to the right in recent years. My Montana friends say otherwise. Any Montanans want to weigh in on that? I also do not believe that the Backcountry Anglers and Hunters are as hunter-friendly as they are purported to be.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Ferrall:
If the best you can do is source an article in the New York Times...? Time will tell. Zinke's leaving could be a combination of several things. He obviously disagreed with the President on imports of African trophies. Court decisions have also hampered his ability to do the job he wanted to do. As a private citizen, he has more freedom from interrogation than he does as a government employee. If the charges are politically motivated, then at least some of them will not be pursued. And it seems hard for me to agree with the Brown comment that Montana has taken a sharp turn to the right in recent years. My Montana friends say otherwise. Any Montanans want to weigh in on that? I also do not believe that the Backcountry Anglers and Hunters are as hunter-friendly as they are purported to be.

I think you are correct. A lot of people are moving to MT from places like CA. It is hard for me to think they have taken a right turn.

I guess it all depends on where in Montana you live is how "right" it is. Whitefish, looks a lot left to me, too many left coast folks there.

Will the advisory committees established by Secretary Zinke stay ??????

quote:

Originally posted by Wesheltonj:
INTERIOR SECRETARY RYAN ZINKE TO LEAVE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
DECEMBER 15, 2018 SCI LEAVE A COMMENT
RATE THIS

Interior Secretary Zinke will be leaving his post at the end of the month, according to a tweet sent out by the President early Saturday morning.

In his tweet, President Trump said that Zinke “will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation.”

The shake-up at the Interior Department is part of a broader shake-up of his Cabinet and senior staff, according to The Hill. Trump has nominated William Barr to become the new attorney general following Jeff Sessions‘s ouster last month. Trump on Friday also named Mick Mulvaney, the current White House budget chief, as acting chief of staff to replace John Kelly who is leaving at the end of the month.

During his tenure at Interior, Secretary Zinke, a former Congressman from Montana, implemented several measures designed to enhance wildlife habitat conservation and increase public access to hunting and fishing opportunities.

“I know I speak for all members of SCI when I say how much we appreciate the leadership Secretary Zinke has shown in matters of wildlife conservation,” said Paul Babaz, President of Safari Club International. “He has led the way in assuring the federal government works hand in hand with state wildlife management professionals to conserve one of America’s greatest heritages – our wildlife.

“I am proud to serve on one of the advisory committees established by Secretary Zinke. As a fellow hunter, the Secretary truly understands the mindset and the needs of our country’s outdoor sportsmen and women. He will truly be missed,” Babaz concluded.

Unfortunately, nobody worth a damn stays long in government these days.

Sadly, no matter who is in charge, they will upset someone.

And with modern social media, I see the death of common sense and democracy.

Those who scream loudest seem to win!

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Interesting times we live in.

Disgusting times, is more like it.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
. . . or maybe he just wasn’t a good man.

Justice Dept. investigating whether Zinke lied to inspector general
Matt Zapotosky, Josh Dawsey, Juliet Eilperin, Lisa Rein

The Justice Department’s public integrity section is examining whether newly departed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke lied to his agency’s inspector general investigators, according to three people familiar with the matter, a potential criminal violation that would exacerbate Zinke’s legal woes.

Zinke, who left the Trump administration Wednesday, was facing two inspector general inquiries tied to his real estate dealings in his home state of Montana and his involvement in reviewing a proposed casino project by Native American tribes in Connecticut. In the course of that work, inspector general investigators came to believe Zinke had lied to them, and they referred the matter to the Justice Department to consider whether any laws were violated, the people familiar with the matter said.

The department’s public integrity section has since been exploring the case, the people familiar with the matter said. The extent of its work is unclear, though the inspector general had questioned witnesses in an apparent attempt to scrutinize Zinke’s account, one of the people said.

A spokesman for Zinke said Zinke voluntarily participated in two inspector general interviews about the Connecticut tribal matter and “to the best of his knowledge answered all questions truthfully.” The spokesman said Zinke had not been contacted by the Justice Department and that disclosures about the matter violated inspector general and Justice Department protocols.

On Wednesday, Zinke wrote a farewell letter to staff and posted a handwritten note on Twitter but neither made mention of the ethics allegations that prompted his departure.

“When I was a Boy Scout, I was taught to leave the campsite better than I found it,” he wrote Interior’s 70,000 employees. “I am confident that over the last 2 years, we have done that together for our public lands and the Department of the Interior.”

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.

The Justice Department’s interest in the matter is significant, signaling prosecutors felt Zinke’s account was suspect and warranted further scrutiny. Department officials have not yet decided, though, whether he should face charges, people familiar with the matter said.

The crime of making false statements can be difficult to prove because it requires investigators to show a person “knowingly and willfully” lied, rather than simply misstated a fact. Zinke’s resignation, too, could make him a less appealing target for prosecutors.

Several former Trump advisers have pleaded guilty to lying to investigators or to Congress, including his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen and a former campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos.

Zinke, who submitted his resignation last month, had faced intense pressure to step down because of the probes into his conduct, though President Trump had soured on him for other reasons, too, according to a person familiar with the matter. In particular, this person said, Trump was upset Zinke would not challenge Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) in last year’s election and over how Zinke handled the administration’s plan to expand offshore drilling.

Last January, Zinke flew to Florida and, without consulting the White House, announced in a news conference with then-Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) Interior would exempt the state from offshore drilling. The move raised ethics questions along with an outcry from other governors whose coastal states were affected by the plan.

It was not clear precisely what Zinke is thought to have lied about, but people familiar with the matter said it was not about a land deal Zinke struck with the chairman of oil services giant Halliburton in his hometown of Whitefish, Mont. Interior’s inspector general has been probing that as a possible conflict of interest.

The inspector general has also been exploring Zinke’s involvement in a dispute over a bid from two Native American tribes to operate a casino in East Windsor, Conn.

The feud over the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes’ quest to jointly operate a gambling facility has sparked intense lobbying, since the outcome affects the flow of hundreds of millions in annual gaming revenue. The tribes allege Zinke succumbed to political pressure in not granting their application.

The two tribes sought federal approval to run the commercial casino off reservation land as part of an agreement with Connecticut officials, which required an amended agreement to ensure the new operation would provide 25 percent of its slot machine revenue to the state.

MGM Resorts International objected because the casino would compete with its gaming complex 12 miles away in Springfield, Mass., and could jeopardize its chances of opening a casino in Connecticut.

Interior officials — including career staff and even some Trump appointees — had been poised to approve the agreement last summer, according to interviews with current and former employees and documents released under the Freedom of Information Act. Politico first reported career staff’s support for the tribes’ petition. Ultimately, though, the department refused to sign off on the Mashantucket Pequot’s proposal, sparking a lawsuit from the tribe and the state of Connecticut.

In September, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras dismissed the tribe’s initial claim. The Mohegan tribe withdrew from the litigation after Interior acknowledged the validity of its gaming agreement in June.

But the tribe — which was nearly wiped out four centuries ago by the English — has continued to press its case. It sought to amend its claim in October, arguing in court documents that Interior staff had “prepared draft approval letters” on Oct. 8, 2017, but then informed the tribes a week later it would take no action on the petition, stymieing the project. The tribe charged that “the Department ultimately buckled under undue political pressure” from two Republican members of Congress from Nevada, Sen. Dean Heller and Rep. Mark Amodei.

Heller, who has since left the Senate, having lost his reelection bid last year, could not be reached for comment. Amodei said in an October 2017 interview with newspaper columnist David Collins that he told Interior officials to “do their job” and was merely acting on behalf of a licensed gaming operator in Nevada.

The court filing alleges “Senator Heller directly pressured Secretary Zinke to do what was necessary to stop the Tribes’ joint venture casino project during a private dinner at a steakhouse in Las Vegas, on or about July 30, 2017.” Zinke’s official calendar shows he was in Las Vegas that day, before catching a late-night flight back to Washington, but it does not list his activities there.

With Zinke gone, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is trying to get his successor to approve changes to the tribal-state compact, so the East Windsor casino can proceed. Connecticut state lawmakers are also considering new legislation that would eliminate the requirement that the tribes receive approval from Interior before moving ahead with the casino.

No good ever comes from the Indian Casino business,

quote:

Originally posted by Wesheltonj:
I guess it all depends on where in Montana you live is how "right" it is. Whitefish, looks a lot left to me, too many left coast folks there.

Missoula has been left for a long time. Bozeman has also been overtaken by leftists.

Hell, all streets in Missoula seem to have left turns only
I have been observing this trend for long time, they move in from left coast and next thing you hear is “ we did it this way where I came from so why don’t we do it here?”

I have also been told being immigrant and republican “ why did you come to US if you don’t like it?” Meaning being conservative somehow is anti American... hmmm

Let's not kid ourselves, if Jesus Christ were in Trump's cabinet, the Trump haters, in and out of government, would try to crucify him again.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Let's not kid ourselves, if Jesus Christ were in Trump's cabinet, the Trump haters, in and out of government, would try to crucify him again.

If Trump ever nominates an honest person we can test your proposition.

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Let's not kid ourselves, if Jesus Christ were in Trump's cabinet, the Trump haters, in and out of government, would try to crucify him again.

If Trump ever nominates an honest person we can test your proposition.

Brett Kavanaugh. Not a cabinet post, but a far more important one.

What they did to him was unconscionable.

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Let's not kid ourselves, if Jesus Christ were in Trump's cabinet, the Trump haters, in and out of government, would try to crucify him again.

If Trump ever nominates an honest person we can test your proposition.

RBG just missed her first day of work. The test may come sooner than later.

quote:

RBG just missed her first day of work. The test may come sooner than later.

I sure hope she’s OK, and I wish her well.

However, if failing health caused her to retire, and President Trump could nominate another conservative to the US Supreme Court, I’d open my best bottle of champagne...

quote:

I have also been told being immigrant and republican “ why did you come to US if you don’t like it?” Meaning being conservative somehow is anti American... hmmm

Milan, sad to know there are that many liberals in your area.

Yep

quote:

Originally posted by Wesheltonj:
No good ever comes from the Indian Casino business,

They are good men. Business men that get things done. Not career bureaucrats that might one day get something done if you absolutely force them to deliver. And when those career bureaucrats do accomplish something it's a pretty good chance that it will not be favorable to you and I.

But the mere fact that they had a conversation with someone sets them up for a litany of so called investigations. Hell who doesn't have conversations when you are in business or in positions of political power. There is a large difference in discussions and actual negotiations as the learned counsel posting that above could expand on. But they WANT to try to deface at every corner. And the DOJ is nothing but a cess pool of libs at the moment. They don't know anything else except the more problems they create the more power they suppose to have. If I was in charge it would be a much smaller DOJ in about 2 weeks. Much smaller.

I tell you the Republicans better put in these plays too. Yeah I hate it all the way around. But if it's going to cut one way then damn sure cut the other too.