Group clears Zinke of wrongdoing in speech to Knights

WASHINGTON — An independent watchdog has cleared Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke of wrongdoing when he gave a speech to the Golden Knights.

The Office of Special Counsel said Zinke’s June 2017 speech to the Knights did not violate the Hatch Act, a federal law that prohibits executive branch officials from engaging in political activities. The team’s owner, Bill Foley, contributed to Zinke’s Republican congressional campaigns and to President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

The special counsel also cleared Zinke in two other related complaints in which he was accused of mixing political and official business. The office investigates whistleblower complaints against the executive branch.

In a May 31 letter obtained by The Associated Press, the special counsel’s office said Zinke addressed the team in his role as Interior secretary and spoke about leadership and the importance of teamwork. There’s no evidence that Zinke gave a political speech or otherwise engaged in political activity, the letter said.

Zinke’s speech has drawn scrutiny because of the political contributions by the team’s owner and because Interior spent more than $12,000 on a charter flight from Nevada to Zinke’s home state of Montana for a speech the next day.

Zinke has said no commercial flight was available for the latenight flight that allowed him to address the hockey team and speak to Western governors the next day in Whitefish, Montana.