We investigated several allegations of travel-related waste against U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Ryan Zinke. We focused on whether Zinke’s use of chartered flights and U.S. military aircraft followed relevant law, policy, rules, and regulations; we also examined the purpose of each trip for which a chartered flight was used to determine whether the DOI had incurred travel expenses for non-DOI-related events and whether the uses and costs of these flights were reasonable or unavoidable.
We determined that Zinke’s use of chartered flights in fiscal year (FY) 2017 generally followed relevant law, policy, rules, and regulations, and that two of the three chartered flights he took that year appeared reasonable and related to DOI business. We found, however, that a $12,375 chartered flight he took in June 2017 after speaking at the developmental camp for the Golden Knights, a professional hockey team based in Las Vegas, NV, could have been avoided.
We also reviewed costs associated with Zinke’s trips on Air Force One, Air Force Two, and other military aircraft in FY 2017. We found that the DOI obligated $185,203.75 for flights, including $52,000 for two flights he had been invited on but ultimately did not take.
We provided our report to the Deputy Secretary of the Interior for any action deemed appropriate.