Ryan Zinke, who served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior from 2017-2019, has been accused of misusing his power to try to stop Connecticut’s gaming tribes from building a satellite casino in that state.
An investigation conducted by the Department’s Inspector General, Mark Greenblatt, concluded that the Trump appointee, behaved inappropriately. He used his position to pressure the DOI to put the brakes on the approval of the $300 million casino the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes wanted to build in East Windsor.
The department refused to approve amended gaming compacts between the tribes and Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy. The tribes wanted to use the casino to deflect the effects of the MGM Springfield, which opened August 2018.
Zinke is alleged to have been influenced by MGM to halt the process that normally happens within 45 days of receipt. After Zinke resigned in 2019, the Department approved of the compacts. But the tribes had already given up on the project.
However Zinke’s conduct is also under scrutiny for not disassociating himself from a charity of his, the Great Northern Veterans Peace Park Foundation, during his time as secretary.
The Biden Justice Department has declined to pursue criminal charges against Zinke.
Zinke is currently running for Congress in Montana. His campaign called the allegations, “a political hit job.”
