The Interior Department’s internal watchdog has released a report which says that the department allowed Secretary Ryan Zinke to violate travel policies so that his wife can accompany him on his trips.
“We determined that, despite a DOI policy prohibiting non-Government employees from riding in Government vehicles, the DOI Office of the Solicitor’s Division of General Law approved Lolita Zinke and other individuals to ride in Government vehicles with Secretary Zinke,” the report said.
Zinke’s wife traveled with him in government vehicles, boats, and even on Air Force One. The department’s employee who approved these travels said that she only did so for trips where the department would not incur any extra cost, ABC News writes.
The report also shows that Zinke spent another $25,000 for his security detail on a personal vacation to Turkey and Greece last year. The report said there were concerns about security risks on the trip but the U.S. consulate could not provide resources because they were not on official business.
Zinke did, however, reimburse the department for expenses from trips to New York related to his wife’s travel.
According to the Interior Department’s spokeswoman Heather Swift, the watchdog’s report only shows that the secretary followed the rules. “The Inspector General report proves what we have known all along: the secretary follows all relevant laws and regulations and that all of his travel was reviewed and approved by career ethics officials and solicitors prior to travel.”
Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt likewise stood in Zinke’s defense, saying that the secretary’s wife is not the first to travel with her spouse, as wives of previous secretaries have also ridden in official vehicles with their spouses.
On the security detail, Zinke said the U.S. Park Police, who provided the protection, were the ones doing the threat assessment. “I tend not to tell them what to do,” he added.
On the other hand, the inspector general’s office found some allegations made against Lola Zinke to be false. She did not receive a government cell phone, contrary to allegations.
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