Zinke is latest high-profile Trump admin departure

WASHINGTON: Donald Trump said his interior secretary will be leaving soon – the latest in a series of high-profile departures from an administration beset by turnover and alleged ethical failings.

Zinke’s exit on Saturday will remove the distraction of the ethical issues that have dogged him – and that reportedly have annoyed Trump – but is unlikely to mark a shift away from the concerted environmental deregulation that took place during the secretary’s tenure at the Interior Department.

“Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years,” Trump wrote on Twitter, highlighting the fact that Zinke’s tenure was substantially longer than that of some other former top officials in the administration.

“Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation,” the president said.

Zinke tied his departure to the burden of “false allegations” against him.

“I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations. It is better for the President and Interior to focus on accomplishments rather than fictitious allegations,” he said on Twitter.

Zinke, a former Montana congressman, has been the subject of various investigations linked to his real estate holdings in his home state and his actions in office, making him a lightning rod for complaints from Democrats.