WaPo: Grand Jury Probing Zinke Over Alleged Lies About Casino Decision

EMIGRANT,MT-OCTOBER, 08: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs a Public Lands Order at a ceremony in Emigrant, MT on October 08, 2018. The Public Lands Order withdraws 30,000 acres of public land from hard rock mining surrounding two proposed gold mines north of Yellowstone National Park for 20 years. The gold mining is opposed by local businesses in Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone River just north of Yellowstone National Park. (Photo by William Campbell-Corbis via Getty Images) — EMIGRANT, MT - OCTOBER 08: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs a Public Lands Order at a ceremony in Emigrant, MT on October 08, 2018. The Public Lands Order withdraws 30,000 acres of public land from hard rock minin... EMIGRANT, MT - OCTOBER 08: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signs a Public Lands Order at a ceremony in Emigrant, MT on October 08, 2018. The Public Lands Order withdraws 30,000 acres of public land from hard rock mining surrounding two proposed gold mines in the mountains north of Yellowstone National Park for 20 years. The gold mining is opposed by local businesses in Paradise Valley along the Yellowstone River just north of Yellowstone National Park. (Photo by William Campbell-Corbis via Getty Images) MORE LESS

February 22, 2019 5:24 p.m.

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A grand jury has been hearing evidence about whether former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke lied to federal investigators about a casino petition he denied, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing two individuals briefed on the matter

The Interior Department’s inspector general believed Zinke may have lied to its investigators about the petition and referred the matter to the Justice Department, as the Washington Post previously reported.

At issue is a petition from two Native American tribes, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan, to build a casino 12 miles away from an existing MGM casino in Connecticut.

Zinke denied the request after meeting with lobbyists representing MGM, prompting the Native American tribes to file a lawsuit.

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Caitlin Mac Neal (@caitlinmacneal) is TPM's special projects editor, based in Washington, D.C. She first came to TPM as a newswriter, and has written for HuffPost, the Sunlight Foundation and Slate.

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mattinpa says:

February 22, 2019

And the horse you rode in on, tough guy. Looks like slinking away doesn’t necessarily call off the dogs.
dr_coyote says:

February 22, 2019

[Oprah voice]

"And YOU get an indictment! and YOU get an indictment! And YOU get one! And YOU…and YOU…and YOU!
maxaroo says:

February 22, 2019

Man, this week just keeps getting better and better.
benthere says:

February 22, 2019

Zinke is corrupt to his core.
pike_bishop says:

February 22, 2019

Hah!
And U thought that payoff money was gonna’ pay for that new boat you been ogling.
Sorry, asshole - your lawyers are takin’ ALL the cash.

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