Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Wednesday ripped attacks over his spending as “false, misleading, and blatantly untruthful.”
Zinke is the latest Trump Cabinet official defending his ethics and judgment, as he denied going outside agency protocol when taking making decisions related to travel and spending.
“Every time I travel it is approved by legal folks and career ethics [officials],” Zinke said in testimony about Interior’s 2019 budget to a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. “I understand we live in a political environment, but in every situation I follow procedures.”
Democrats began the hearing criticizing Zinke for his actions. The attacks come as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is under scrutiny for his travel, housing, and spending decisions.
“Doors costing $139,000 and extravagant trips have violated trust with this institution and American taxpayers,” said Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “Perhaps your ego has gotten in the way of doing the business of the people.”
Zinke, before delivering his opening statement, fought back, calling attacks by Democratic members “false, misleading, and blatantly untruthful.”
The Interior Department’s inspector general is investigating Zinke over his use of military and chartered flights, and his attendance at political events while on official travel.
For example, Zinke spent $12,000 for noncommercial travel that included speaking to a professional sports team owned by a former campaign contributor.
The inspector general office issued a memo in November showing Zinke has failed to properly document his travel, which stymied the agency’s probe.
In addition, Zinke and his wife, Lola, brought a taxpayer-funded security team to a vacation in Turkey and Greece last year, the Project On Government Oversight has found.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Zinke came under fire for reportedly spending $139,000 to upgrade three sets of double doors in his office.
Zinke said Interior has “brought down” the cost of the doors to $55,000 and denied knowing about the expenditure.
“I didn’t even know they were my doors,” he said.
Interior officials have said the project was planned by career facilities and security personnel as part of the decade-long modernization of the agency’s headquarters.
