After The Hill broke the news that the Interior Department’s internal watchdog referred its investigation of Secretary Ryan Zinke to the Department of Justice just days before the attempted, and subsequently walked-back, replacement of the Interior Inspector General with a Trump political appointee, Executive Director of Western Values Project Chris Saeger has issued the following statement:

“It seems that either Secretary Zinke tried to interfere with an ongoing investigation or sought political retribution against Interior’s own watchdog. While we hope the Department of Justice runs a thoughtful and thorough investigation into Zinke’s conduct, the Secretary has violated the public’s trust one too many times. It’s time for Secretary Zinke to resign and allow the Department to move past his troubled tenure and focus on fulfilling its vital mission.”