Ex-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke promises his new job at a mining company is not a conflict of interest

Ryan Zinke
(Image credit: Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images)

Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's new boss may have hired him because of his "excellent relationship" with several government departments, but Zinke says there's no conflict at all with him now working for a mining exploration and development company.

"I don't lobby," Zinke told The Associated Press. "I just follow the law, so I don't talk to anybody on the executive side or influence [anyone]." The Department of the Interior is responsible for the management and conservation of the country's land, water, wildlife, and energy. When Zinke stepped down as secretary in December, he was the subject of several investigations, including one involving his connection to a real estate deal with a company regulated by the Interior Department.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.