Secretary Of The Interior Ryan Zinke Involved In Discussions Around Haliburton Backed Development Project; Zinke Owns Land In The Area, While Haliburton Stands To Benefit From Looser Regluations Pushed By Zinke

“On Wednesday [June 27, 2018], Interior Deputy Inspector General Mary L. Kendall said that her office will examine [Secretary of the Interior Ryan] Zinke’s ‘reported ongoing involvement in and use of taxpayer resources to advance land developments in Whitefish, Montana.'”

“A group funded by David Lesar, the Halliburton chairman, is planning a large commercial development on a former industrial site near the center of the Zinkes’ hometown of Whitefish, a resort area that has grown increasingly popular with wealthy tourists. The development would include a hotel and retail shops. There also would be a microbrewery — a business first proposed in 2012 by Ryan Zinke and for which he lobbied town officials for half a decade.”

Zinke owns land in close proximity to the proposed development and has been involved in discussions: “a foundation established by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and headed by his wife is playing a key role.”

Haliburton’s “operations are directly affected by many of the Interior Department’s policies, including regulations on how oil and gas drilling must be conducted, and which public lands and federal waters are open to exploration and development.”

On January 4, 2018 the Department of the Interior announced an expansion of approved offshore drilling areas “in nearly all U.S. waters, the single largest expansion of offshore oil and gas leasing ever proposed by the federal government.”

 

 

Juliet Eilperin and Dino Grandoni. "Inspector general will review Zinke’s involvement in land deal backed by Halliburton’s chairman." Washington Post, 28 June 2018. Web. 10 November 2018.

BEN LEFEBVRE and NICK JULIANO. "Exclusive: Zinke linked to real estate deal with Halliburton chairman." Politico, 19 June 2018. Web. 10 November 2018.