The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

Ryan Zinke.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Department of Justice is investigating Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke due to a referral from his department's inspector general, CNN reported Tuesday.

It's unclear which of the ongoing probes into Zinke this concerns, since there are at least three, but a White House official told The Washington Post that the DOJ's investigation would be into whether Zinke "used his office to help himself."

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This comes a few weeks after the department's inspector general said in a report that Zinke was advised not to have his wife travel with him in government vehicles, also being warned against bringing her on as a volunteer so she wouldn't have to reimburse the department for travel costs, per The Washington Post. Zinke is reportedly expected to leave the Trump administration after next week's election.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.