¶ Overview
- De La Cruz touted an endorsement from Rep. John McGuire, who infamously voted against a bill that banned child marriage in Virginia.
- De La Cruz touted an endorsement from Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who was known for his anger issues and attending a January 6th rally at the Capitol.
- De La Cruz touted an endorsement from Rep. Rich McCormick. McCormick has called to repeal the Affordable Care Act and raise the Social Security retirement age, disparaged children who relied on free lunches at school, spread election denialism, and famously left his second wife for Rep. Beth Van Duyne.
- De La Cruz touted an endorsement from Rep. Ryan Zinke, who was known for resigning in disgrace as Interior Secretary in Trump’s first administration after violating government rules and ethics obligations.
¶ De La Cruz Touted Endorsements From Representatives With Shady Pasts
¶ De la cruz touted an endorsement from Rep. john Mcguire, WHO Infamously Voted Against A Bill That banned Child Marriage In Virginia
De La Cruz Said He Was “Honored” To Earn The Endorsement Of Rep. John McGuire And Said He Was “Ready To Stand With Him In Congress.”
[Instagram, @carlosforcongress, 11/24/25]
3/5/24: McGuire Was The Only Virginia State Senator To Vote Against HB 994, Which Set The Legal Age Of Marriage In Virginia To Be 18. According to the Virginia Legislative Information System,
[Virginia Legislative Information System, HB994, Introduced 1/9/24, Vote 3/5/24]
HEADLINE: “AUDIO: Virginia Congressman Defends 2024 Child Marriage Vote” [Virginia Dogwood, 5/19/26]
According To The Anti-Child Marriage Nonprofit Unchained At Last, An Estimated 7,876 Minors Were Married In Virginia Between 2000 And 2021, And 80 Percent Were Girls Who Were Married To Adult Men. According to Unchained At Last, “This means Virginia is now closing a dangerous legal loophole that allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to be legally trafficked under the guise of marriage. The loophole also allowed teens to be entered into the serious contract of marriage before they have the full rights of adulthood, which created a nightmarish legal trap for them. And the loophole ignored the reality that marriage before age 18 is recognized as a human rights abuse that destroys nearly every aspect of a girl’s life. Our research found that some 7,876 minors as young as 12 were entered into marriage in Virginia between 2000 and 2021, including at least 65 who were married since the current law went into effect — and more than 80% were girls wed to adult men. Almost all of the marriages since 2000 involved a minor who was not even old enough to consent to sex with their spouse.” [Unchained At Last, 4/9/24]
According To The Anti-Child Marriage Nonprofit Unchained At Last, Allowing Child Marriage Undermined Statutory Rape Laws And Could Be A Form Of Human Trafficking. According to Unchained At Last, “Child marriage undermines statutory rape laws. In most states and under federal law, sex with a child that would otherwise be considered rape – in some cases, felony rape – becomes legal within marriage. In those situations, the marriage license becomes a ‘get out of jail free’ card for a child rapist. In some states, statutory rape remains a crime within marriage. The marriage is legal, but sex within the marriage is rape. In those situations, the state that issues the marriage license sends a child home to be raped. At least 66,415 child marriages in the U.S. since 2000 occurred at an age or with a spousal age difference that should have been considered a sex crime. Of those child marriages, 90% gave a rapist a ‘get out of jail free’ card, while 10% sent a child home to be raped. Either way, the marriage license made a mockery of statutory rape laws. Child marriage can also be a form of human trafficking. Due to loopholes in immigration laws, thousands of American girls are being trafficked legally for their citizenship, forced to marry adult men from overseas so the men can get a U.S. visa. Similarly, American men are legally importing child brides from overseas.” [Unchained At Last, “Forced/Child Marriage,” Viewed 2/20/26]
¶ de la cruz touted an endorsement from rep. derrick van orden, WHO IS Known For his anger issues and attending a January 6th rally
De La Cruz Said He Was “Honored” To Have The Support Of Van Orden.
[Instagram, @carlosforcongress, 11/12/25]
¶ Van Orden Yelled And Cursed At A Group Of Teenage Pages And Was Condemned For His Behavior By Senate Leaders
July 2023: Van Orden Was Condemned For Berating At A Group Of Teenage Senate Pages, Screaming And Cursing At Them Inches Away From Their Faces. According to NBC News, "A freshman Republican lawmaker received bipartisan condemnation after he allegedly yelled at a group of high- school-age Senate pages for ‘defiling’ the Capitol on Wednesday. New details shared with NBC News paint an even more disturbing picture of what took place that night. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., told the teenagers to ‘get the f--- out’ of the rotunda, according to one source who witnessed the interaction and spoke on condition of anonymity. The source described Van Orden's demeanor as ‘physically aggressive’ toward the pages. The lawmaker was ‘screaming inches from the pages’ faces’ and ‘shooed’ at them with his hands several times, said the source, who described previously unreported details of Van Orden’s behavior." [NBC News, 7/30/23]
- Van Orden Yelled Several Curse Words Directly At The Group Of 16 And 17 Year Olds. According to NBC News, "He called the pages ‘jackasses’ and ‘pieces of s---,’ according to a transcript written issued by a page minutes after the incident and first reported by The Hill. ‘Wake the f--- up you little s---s. What the f--- are you all doing? Get the f--- out of here. You are defiling the place,’ the former Navy Seal shouted at the group. The source told NBC News that Van Orden, 53, also said, ‘I don’t give a f---who you are. I’m a congressman. My name is Derrick Van Orden, and I represent the 3rd District of Wisconsin,’ and he called the group ‘pieces of s---’ multiple times. The pages, who were 16 and 17 years old, were ‘visibly shaken,’ according to the source." [NBC News, 7/30/23]
- Democratic And Republican Leaders In The Senate Rebuked Van Orden’s Behavior. According to ABC News, Senate leaders on Thursday came to the defense of high-school pages after reports that Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., berated a group of the teens in the Capitol in a profanity-laced rant. In floor speeches Thursday before departing for August recess, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell indirectly rebuked Van Orden as they praised the work done by pages on what was their final day. Schumer said it was his understanding that ‘late last night, a member of the House majority thought it appropriate to curse at some of these young people, these teenagers, in the rotunda.’ ‘I was shocked when I heard about it and I am further shocked at his refusal to apologize to these young people,’ the Democratic leader continued, adding he didn't believe ‘one member's disrespect is shared by this body.’ McConnell, the chamber's top Republican, agreed with Schumer and reaffirmed that ‘everybody on this side of the aisle feels exactly the same way.’" [ABC News, 7/28/23]
- An Ethics Complaint Was Filed Against Van Orden For Violating A House Rule That Dictated A Certain Code Of Conduct For Members Of Congress. According to American Journal News, "An ethics complaint has been filed against Wisconsin Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. He is accused of berating and being physically aggressive towards Senate pages. The complaint was filed by Matthew Lehner, the president of the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire Democrats and a candidate for Eau Claire County Board. It specifically accuses Van Orden of violating House Rule XXIII, which dictates the code of conduct for congresspeople." [American Journal News, 1/30/24]
¶ Van Orden Yelled At A Teenage Library Page Over A Pride Month Book Display
August 2021: Van Orden Shouted At A Teenage Girl Working As A Library Page Because He Was Upset At A Pride Month Book Display. According to the Associated Press, "A staffer at a southwestern Wisconsin library says a Republican congressional candidate threatened her over a gay pride display. Kerrigan Trautsch, a page at the Prairie du Chien Memorial Library, told the La Crosse Tribune that Derrick Van Orden came into the library on June 17 and complained loudly about a display of fiction and nonfiction books about homosexuality in the children’s section. The display was part of the library’s efforts to recognize Pride Month. Trautsch, who was 17 at the time, describes herself as an advocate for the LGBTQ community. She said Van Orden was angry, and that he said the books offended him and that taxpayers shouldn’t have to see them. […] ‘His voice was loud, he was aggressive, he had his finger jabbing into (the book) constantly,’ Trautsch said. She described the situation as ‘very uncomfortable, threatening.’ Van Orden repeatedly demanded to know who set up the display so he could ‘teach them a lesson,’ she said. She had set up the display but was too afraid of him to tell him, she said. ‘He was full on shouting at this point and he kept aggressively shoving the books around,’ she said." [Associated Press, 8/23/21]
¶ Van Orden Yelled At A Witness During A Congressional Hearing
April 2025: During A Congressional Hearing Van Orden Screamed At And Belittled A Professor From Northwestern Who Worked To Improve Nutrition And Health Programs Because He Disagreed With Her Testimony Claiming Work Requirements Would Harm Certain Beneficiaries Of SNAP. According to Up North News, "Making the mathematically impossible claim that $230 billion in cuts would not cut ‘a nickel’ from the benefits of citizens who were ‘lawfully’ receiving them, US Rep. Derrick Van Orden screamed at and belittled an economist who was testifying before the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday. ‘You’re wrong,’ Van Orden hollered at Dr. Diane Schanzenbach, a Northwestern University professor who works to improve nutrition education and health programs—after she testified about the harm that would be done to some families if stringent work requirements were added to food assistance programs like SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, colloquially known as food stamps for low-income households." [Up North News, 4/9/25]
¶ Van Orden Attended The January 6th “Stop The Steal” Rally Then Was Photographed Near Capitol Grounds Afterward
Van Orden Attended The “Stop The Steal” Rally Headlined By Donald Trump, Then Was Photographed On Or Near The Capitol Grounds Afterward. According to the Associated Press, "Derrick Van Orden was among the thousands of people who went to Washington for the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally headlined by then-President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. Afterward, Van Orden was photographed on or near the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, where rioters violently breached the building in one of American democracy’s darkest days. Now Van Orden, a Donald Trump-endorsed retired Navy SEAL who says he took no part in the riot and did not set foot on the Capitol grounds, appears poised to win the U.S. House seat held since 1997 by retiring Democratic Rep. Ron Kind." [Associated Press, 10/16/22]
- Van Orden Said He Went To March On January 6th To “Stand Up For Electoral Integrity.” According to the Washington Post, "Van Orden was at President Donald Trump’s ‘Save America’ rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and then joined the crowd that marched down the Mall toward the Capitol, saying in a television interview that ‘I went there to stand with them, to stand up for electoral integrity.’ Van Orden said he never entered the Capitol, which was ransacked that day by a pro-Trump mob seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election." [Washington Post, 11/15/22]
The Daily Beast Confirmed The Photo Of Van Orden Shared On Facebook On January 6th Was Inside A Restricted Area On The Capitol Grounds. According to the Daily Beast, "A Facebook image from Jan. 6 shows Van Orden standing on a wall on the Capitol grounds that was inside a restricted area. (The Daily Beast recreated the photo on Friday and confirmed that Van Orden would have had to cross police barricades to reach that area.)"
[Daily Beast, 6/26/21]
¶ Van Orden Reportedly Used Campaign Money To Fund His Trip To D.C. On January 6th
Van Orden’s Campaign Finance Reports Indicated He Wrote Off Roughly $4,000 In Transportation And Hotel Costs In Washington, D.C. Around January 6th. According to the Daily Beast, "As for Van Orden’s campaign expenses surrounding Jan. 6, it’s unclear how they relate to Van Orden’s attendance. Federal Election Commission regulations state that travel expenses must be ‘directly related to the campaign.’ Van Orden—who wrote off roughly $4,000 in transportation and D.C. hotel costs around Jan. 6 for him, his wife, and a campaign staffer—lost his race in November and didn’t declare his 2022 candidacy until April." [Daily Beast, 6/26/21]
¶ de la cruz touted an endorsement from election denier rep. rich mccormick
De La Cruz Said He Was “Honored” To Be Endorsed By McCormick And Was “Looking Forward To Working Alongside Him.”
[Instagram, @carlosforcongress, 11/22/25]
¶ May 2022: McCormick Claimed Voter Fraud Was To Blame For His Election Loss In 2020, Which He Refused To Concede In
McCormick Declared “No One Was Hurt By Voter Fraud More Than Myself” And Bemoaned That, “At The End Of The Night At The End Of The Election In 2020, I Was Told I Won The Election, That We Were 5,000 Votes Up. And Then We Were Eventually Told We Lost The Election.” According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, “In a Sunday debate sponsored by the Atlanta Press Club, all nine candidates questioned Georgia's 2020 election results that saw former President Donald Trump narrowly lose his race but the GOP do well in other races up and down the ballot. Nearly $1.8 million in personal money has been loaned to campaigns seeking to win the nomination in this district that runs from North Fulton up to Dawson County, led by financial frontrunners Rich McCormick and Jake Evans. McCormick, who lost in the neighboring 7th District race in 2018, reiterated that he never conceded that election. ‘No one was hurt by voter fraud more than myself,’ he said. ‘At the end of the night at the end of the election in 2020, I was told I won the election, that we were 5,000 votes up. And then we were eventually told we lost the election.’ McCormick lost by more than 10,000 votes after all the votes were counted.” [GPB, 5/1/22]
Atlanta Magazine: “McCormick Claimed There Was Rampant Voter Fraud During Georgia’s 2020 Election—He Has Never Conceded His Loss To Bourdeaux—But Dodged On The Question Of Whether Trump Was The Rightful Winner Of The Presidential Election.” According to Atlanta Magazine, “ At one point, moderator and WSB-TV reporter Dave Huddleston asked all candidates whether they believed the 2020 election was stolen from President Trump. The array of responses illustrated the needle Republican politicians are threading in appealing to both hard-core Trump supporters and conservatives less fixated on the Big Lie. McCormick claimed there was rampant voter fraud during Georgia’s 2020 election—he has never conceded his loss to Bourdeaux—but dodged on the question of whether Trump was the rightful winner of the presidential election.” [Atlanta Magazine, 5/2/22]
¶ McCormick Called To Raise The Social Security Retirement Age
Mcormick On Social Security: “Well, First Of All, I Think The Age Hasn’t Been Moved Since The — Basically, The Average Person Lives A Lot Longer Now. We’ve Got To Move The Date, In My Opinion.” According to Breitbart, "On Wednesday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s ‘The Hill,’ Rep. Richard McCormick (R-GA) stated that there need to be some reforms to Social Security and one change is changing the retirement age. McCormick said, ‘Unfortunately, we’re going to have an automatic cut of both Social Security and Medicaid — or Medicare in the next presidency, almost certainly, it’s mathematically predictable.’ He added, ‘Well, first of all, I think the age hasn’t been moved since the — basically, the average person lives a lot longer now. We’ve got to move the date, in my opinion. You have to change the tax reform a little bit, and we need to save Social Security. … We have bipartisan bills already in the pipe right now that could be passed, that actually are really good solutions. … You should put in a grandfather clause. Anybody who’s within ten years doesn’t get touched, everybody else gets adjusted, with reasonable concessions.’ McCormick further stated, ‘We have several bipartisan bills out there right now that would actually take care of this, with minor changes. And, as a matter of fact, it wouldn’t affect anybody who’s near Social Security right now. But it would make it more viable for the long-term solution, then we can shore it up and actually do some good things to make it viable continuously.’" [Breitbart, 2/19/26]
¶ McCormick Called To Fully Repeal The Affordable Care Act
2020: In An Answer To A Candidate Survey By Campaign For Liberty, McCormick Stated That He Supported The Full Repeal Of The ACA. “7. Will you support legislation to fully repeal ObamaCare and oppose efforts to give the federal government more control of health care? […] Rich McCormick, Yes.” [Campaign For Liberty Candidate Survey - Rich McCormick, Accessed 5/9/25]
¶ McCormick Seemed To Support Cuts To Programs That Allowed Kids To Get Free Lunch And Breakfast At School
McCormick Bemoaned The “Kids Who Stay At Home Instead Of Going To Work At Burger King” Who Then “Get Their Free Lunch Instead Of Going To Work.” According to USA Today, “Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), who supports the White House’s federal aid freeze possibly impacting school lunch programs, suggested in an interview that children get jobs, including working at McDonald’s, to pay for their lunches. [...] During the interview conducted before the federal judge’s decision, CNN anchor Pamela Brown mentioned that Head Start, which provides nutrition support to low-income children and families with food insecurities, is one of the federal programs that could be affected by the freeze. She then questioned McCormick on whether or not he would support cutting funding for free breakfast and lunches. ‘Before I was even 13 years old, I was picking berries in the field before (the) child labor laws that precluded that. I was a paper boy, and when I was in high school, I worked my entire way through,’ McCormick told Brown. ‘You’re telling me that kids who stay at home instead of going to work at Burger King (and) McDonald’s during the summer should stay at home and get their free lunch instead of going to work? I think we need to have a top-down review.’” [USA Today, 1/28/25]
- McCormick Said Kids Should Be “Thinking About Their Future Instead Of Thinking About How They’re Going To Sponge Out The Government.” According to USA Today, “The congressman then further elaborated on his child labor comments by saying, ‘How many people got their start in fast-food restaurants when they were kids, versus just giving a blanket rule that gives all kids lunches in high school who are capable of going out and actually getting a job and doing something that makes them have value.’ He added that children should be ‘thinking about their future instead of thinking about how they’re going to sponge out the government when they don’t need to.’” [USA Today, 1/28/25]
¶ McCormick Left His Second Wife For Texas Rep. Beth Van Duyne
¶ May 2024: McCormick Began Divorce Proceedings Just Days Before Announcing His Relationship With Rep. Beth Van Duyne
Van Duyne Confirmed That She Was “Happily Engaged In A Relationship” With McCormick And Told The Post That “His Marriage Has Been Over For Quite Some Time, As I Understand It. He’s Filed For Divorce” From His Wife Of 12 Years. According to the New York Post, “Rep. Beth Van Duyne acknowledged Friday that she is ‘happily engaged in a relationship’ with fellow Republican legislator Rich McCormick after the Georgia congressman filed for divorce earlier this month from his wife of 12 years. ‘I’m single. We’re both parents of adult children and empty nesters,’ Van Duyne (R-Texas) told DailyMail.com in remarks her office later confirmed to The Post. ‘His marriage has been over for quite some time, as I understand it. He’s filed for divorce.’” [New York Post, 5/17/24]
McCormick’s Office Told The Post That The Relationship With Van Duyne Was “Old News,” Claiming That The Congressman Had Been “Separated For Quite Some Time,” And The Paper Confirmed That The Pair “Have Been Canoodling For More Than A Year.” According to the New York Post, “The romance between Van Duyne, 53, and McCormick, 55, was first reported by the Daily Mail Thursday evening, but a rep for the Georgia lawmaker told The Post the partnership was ‘old news’ to the Capitol Hill ‘rumor mill.’ McCormick’s office said the freshman had been ‘separated for quite some time’ from his stunning oncologist wife, Dr. Debra Miller, and a Hill source told The Post McCormick and Van Duyne have been canoodling for more than a year. Other sources confirmed that the pair had been spotted holding hands in House GOP conference meetings and cozying up to each other on the chamber floor.” [New York Post, 5/17/24]
- McCormick Field For Divorce Only Two Weeks Before The Story Was Published. According to the International Business Times, “Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) filed for divorce earlier this month and is rumored to be romancing his House GOP colleague, Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas). The case was filed by McCormick on May 3, and a mutual restraining order was also filed, as is standard in all divorce cases in the central Georgia county.” [IBT, 5/17/24]
McCormick’s Second Wife Told The Daily Mail That She Didn’t Expect Her Husband To Be “Forthcoming” About His Affair. According to the New York Post, “Miller told the Daily Mail that she didn’t expect her estranged husband to be ‘forthcoming’ about his romance with his colleague.” [New York Post, 5/17/24]
¶ April 2025: McCormick Revealed The Details Of His “Great Relationship With Texas Rep. Beth Van Duyne
McCormick Said He And Van Duyne “Have Synergistic Efforts In Congress” And Dismissed Questions On A Looming Proposal. According to the Daily Mail, “Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., sat down with DailyMail.com to talk about Trump's first 100 days and his high-profile relationship with another member of Congress. Chatting at a media event for House Republicans on Monday, McCormick candidly shared that his relationship with Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, is going well. ‘So we've been dating for a minute, and we have a great relationship,’ the handsome lawmaker shared with a smile. [...] Their cozy relationship has been ongoing now for about a year, but McCormick did not tip his hand to DailyMail.com when pressed if there is a proposal coming down the pipeline soon. ‘You guys are way ahead!’ he charmingly shot back. He then dove into how the pair have kindred districts that share many of the same problems. ‘I think we have synergistic efforts in Congress,’ he said. ‘We have very similar districts.’ The Georgia and Texas Republicans both represent some of the richest districts in the U.S., and they share legislative objectives, too, McCormick, 56, said. ‘I think we compete with each other on business, on opportunities. We both see government very similarly.’ Their shared values include reducing the size and scope of government, cutting regulations, taxes and empowering business. ‘Those are things we're focused on right now,’ he concluded. ‘The rest is personal,’ he said again flashing a pearly white smile.” [Daily Mail, 4/29/25]
¶ de la cruz touted an endorsement from rep. ryan zinke, WHO RESIGNED IN DISGRACE as interior SECRETARY AFTER BREAKING ETHICS Rules
De La Cruz Said He Was “Proud” To Have Zinke’s Endorsement.
[Instagram, @carlosforcongress, 11/7/25]
¶ Zinke Resigned In Disgrace As Interior Secretary After Violating Government Rules And Ethics Obligations
HEADLINE: "Interior Secretary Zinke Resigns Amid Investigations" [Washington Post, 12/15/18]
HEADLINE: "Zinke To Leave Interior Amid Scandals" [Politico, 12/15/18]
¶ Investigators Found Zinke Misused His Position As Interior Secretary To Advance A Development Project In Montana And Hid His Involvement
HEADLINE: "U.S. Investigation Finds That Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke Misused Position" [NPR, 2/16/22]
The Interior Department Inspector General Found That Zinke Misused His Position As Interior Secretary To Advance A Development Project In His Hometown In Montana And Failed To Disclose The Details Of His Involvement To Ethics Officials When Questioned. According to NPR, "Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke misused his position to advance a development project in his Montana hometown and failed to disclose details of his involvement when questioned by ethics officials, a federal investigation has found. The report, released Wednesday by the Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General, centers on the former Trump Cabinet member's affiliation with the nonprofit Great Northern Veterans Peace Park Foundation, which he and others established in 2007, and a development called the 95 Karrow project." [NPR, 2/16/22]
- Investigators Found That Zinke And His Wife Were In Negotiations To Build A Commercial Project On A Part Of The Great Northern Veterans Peace Park Foundation’s Land And That He Did Not Comply With Ethics Obligations. According to NPR, "The report, released Wednesday by the Department of Interior's Office of Inspector General, centers on the former Trump Cabinet member's affiliation with the nonprofit Great Northern Veterans Peace Park Foundation, which he and others established in 2007, and a development called the 95 Karrow project. The report shows that Zinke and his wife were in negotiations with developers to build a commercial project on a portion of the foundation's land in Whitefish, Mont. Investigators found that Zinke did not comply with his ethics obligations, in which he agreed not to manage services associated with the foundation. Investigators also found that he misused his authority to direct subordinates to help with the project." [NPR, 2/16/22]
- While Serving As Interior Secretary, Zinke Emailed A Developer To Offer Input On Design Elements Of The Project, But When Asked About It In July 2018, Zinke Denied “Substantive Involvement In Foundation Matters.” According to NPR, "In one email to a developer in 2017, Zinke — while serving as interior secretary — offered input on design elements of the project, adding that ‘the foundation is happy to partner with you on the proposed project.’ A July 2018 memo from Department of the Interior ethics officials shows that when Zinke was questioned, he denied ‘substantive involvement in foundation matters.’" [NPR, 2/16/22]
HEADLINE: "Trump Interior Secretary Crossed Lines In Land Dealings With Halliburton Executive, Watchdog Finds" [Politico, 2/16/22]
¶ Investigators Found Zinke Lied About Conversations He Had Regarding A Bid By Two Indian Tribes To Operate A Casino
The Interior Department Inspector General Found That Zinke Lied To Investigators About Conversations He Had With Lobbyists, Lawmakers, And Other Officials Regarding A Bid By Two Indian Tribes To Operate A Casino In Connecticut. According to the Associated Press, "Former Interior secretary Ryan Zinke lied to investigators about conversations he had with lobbyists, lawmakers and other officials regarding a bid by two Indian tribes to operate a casino in Connecticut, the department’s internal watchdog said Wednesday." [Associated Press, 8/24/22]
- September 2017: Instead Of Approving Or Rejecting The Mashantucket Pequot And Mohegan Tribes’ Request To Open A Casino On Non-Tribal Land In Connecticut, Zinke Sent It Back To The Tribes. According to the Associated Press, "Zinke was accused of acting improperly on a request by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes in Connecticut to open a casino on non-tribal land in East Windsor, Connecticut. The request required federal approval. The proposed site was close to a casino planned by Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts. The MGM casino opened in 2018. Zinke did not approve or reject the tribes’ request, instead sending it back to the tribes in September 2017." [Associated Press, 8/24/22]
- The Casino Proposed By The Indian Tribes Was Close To A Casino Planned By MGM In Springfield, MA, Which Opened In 2018. According to the Associated Press, "Zinke was accused of acting improperly on a request by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes in Connecticut to open a casino on non-tribal land in East Windsor, Connecticut. The request required federal approval. The proposed site was close to a casino planned by Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts in nearby Springfield, Massachusetts. The MGM casino opened in 2018. Zinke did not approve or reject the tribes’ request, instead sending it back to the tribes in September 2017." [Associated Press, 8/24/22]
- The Tribes And Connecticut Alleged That Improper And Undue Political Influence, Including From MGM, Was Behind Zinke’s Decision Not To Sign Off On The Agreements. According to the Associated Press, "The lack of action led to a federal ethics investigation, one of several against Zinke, who served as Interior secretary from March 2017 to January 2019. The state of Connecticut and the tribes also filed a lawsuit in 2017, alleging that improper and undue political influence, including from MGM, was behind the decision not to sign off on the agreements." [Associated Press, 8/24/22]
¶ Investigators Found Zinke Violated Government Rules By Allowing His Wife To Travel With Him In Government Vehicles
The Interior Department Inspector General Found Zinke Violated Government Rules By Allowing His Wife To Travel With Him In Government Vehicles And For Considering Making Her A Volunteer So She Could Travel For Free. According to CNN, "The Department of Interior Inspector General found that Secretary Ryan Zinke and his wife violated policy for government travel and he considered making his wife a volunteer which would have allowed her to travel for free, according to a new report. The investigation into Zinke’s alleged abuse of position found the secretary broke agency policy when his wife traveled with him in federal vehicles. The report also stated Zinke considered trying to get around agency rules by making her a volunteer at the agency, which would have entitled her to travel for free with him on the taxpayers’ dime. Zinke denies that his intention was to skirt government rules for reimbursement for travel, and the report states the Zinkes reimbursed the government for Lola Zinke’s travel in Interior Department vehicles when required." [CNN, 10/18/18]