Ryan Zinke Is Still The Interior Secretary?

Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who served under President Donald Trump, has been sworn in as the secretary of the Interior Department. Zinke and his chief of staff knowingly made false statements to federal investigators while working under Trump. Zinke’s policy decisions at the Interior Department were overshadowed by several investigations into his business deals and connections to the Trump administration.

Zinke, a decorated U.S. Navy SEAL officer, retired after 23 years of military service and served two terms as a Montana State Senator. He was first elected to Congress in 2014 and served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior between noncontiguous terms. Zinke left his post at the Department of the Interior at the end of 2018 amid mounting misconduct allegations. Now, the former Secretary of the Interior has been led by 53 past secretaries since its founding in 1849.

Zinke’s resignation was widely expected, especially after President Trump expressed concern over the Justice Department probe. He has been sworn in as the secretary of the Interior Department, assuming oversight of 400 million acres of public land, mostly in Montana. Zinke’s policy decisions at the Interior Department were overshadowed in recent months by several investigations into his business deals and connections to the Trump administration.