Vet Voice Foundation Responds to Investigation into Ryan Zinke’s Ties to Halliburton

WASHINGTON, DC – A veterans foundation with a long history of advocating for public lands is speaking out in response to the launch of a formal investigation into a real estate deal involving a foundation established by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and developers including Halliburton Chairman David Lesar.

Politico first reported on Zinke’s ties to the real estate deal last month, saying the land that Zinke had promised to honor veterans will now be a parking lot, as part of a project with Halliburton.  

Garett Reppenhagen, Western States Director for the Vet Voice Foundation, says the issue mirrors how Zinke has operated as Secretary of the Interior:

“Secretary Zinke has a habit of making empty promises and exploiting public lands for personal gains. Zinke is a veteran himself and a self-described outdoorsman, but it’s clear he’s more concerned with his maintaining his personal ties to private interests than following through with the promise he made to veterans in Montana and preserving public lands.

This lack of follow-through mirrors Zinke’s behavior throughout his time leading the Interior Department. Zinke claims to be a champion of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a key source of funding for public lands that veterans rely on, but his proposed budgets for the Department of the Interior have called for enormous cuts to the fund.

I hope this investigation will be a wake up call for Ryan Zinke to be more accountable to his fellow veterans and to the American people.”