Interior Secretary Zinke's Ethics Lapses Raise Red Flag

Ryan Zinke rode in on a horse to his first day as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, but he might ride out on a wave of public outrage due to his penchant for catering to special interests at the expense of Americans’ wishes. At stake is the stewardship of many of America's treasured natural resources.

Zinke’s cozy relationship with Safari International—a lobbying group for wealthy trophy hunters who like to gun down elephants, lions, and other endangered animals—led to his decision to reverse the ban on importing elephant body parts. Thankfully, President Trump put that decision on hold amidst worldwide outrage, deeming the trophy hunting of elephants and other animals a “horror show.”

Similarly, Zinke did the bidding of the cattlemen’s lobby by hatching a plan to slaughter tens of thousands of America’s iconic mustangs against the wishes of 80% of Americans. Last week, the Senate rejected Zinke’s lethal plan, but in July the House granted it, meaning the final decision on the fate of America’s wild horses and burros will be the product of negotiations between the House and the Senate.

Zinke's decision to shrink the size of National Monuments to open these sensitive areas up to mining and oil/gas development has been likewise unpopular.

Zinke has ordered the Interior Department headquarters in Washington, DC to fly a special flag when he is in the building. But the ethics cloud currently surrounding Zinke raises a red flag big enough to bring his tenure as Secretary to an end. Let's hope that happens before it’s too late for the magnificent natural resources, including our wild horses and burros, that Americans hold dear.