Government oversight groups are expressing alarm about the Trump administration moving a political appointee to the watchdog role at the Interior Department, where Secretary Ryan Zinke has faced multiple internal investigations.
Suzanne Israel Tufts, who has worked for seven months as an assistant secretary for Housing and Urban Development, is being transferred to Interior to serve as acting inspector general, according to an internal email from HUD Secretary Ben Carson. She is replacing Mary Kendall, who has served as acting inspector general at Interior since 2009.
Watchdog groups said the move is suspicious.
“This reeks of retaliation for the shocking number of investigations into Secretary Zinke’s unethical conduct,” said Chris Saeger, executive director of the Western Values Project. “He should immediately explain the reasons why the current Inspector General is leaving and if he fails to, Congress should demand answers.”
Aaron Weiss, a spokesman for the Center for Western Priorities, said it’s “completely inappropriate to put a political appointee with no oversight experience in charge of investigating President Trump’s most scandal-ridden cabinet member remaining.”
“It looks like a clumsy attempt to provide political cover as numerous investigations into Secretary Zinke are underway.” Mr. Weiss said.
Ms. Tufts reportedly took over at HUD for an official who refused to sign off on Mr. Carson’s office redecoration, including a $31,000 dining room table which he later canceled.
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said the move comes while Mr. Zinke and the Interior Department “are awash in wave after wave of scandal and corruption.”
“They decide now is the perfect time to get rid of the current IG,” Mr. Grijalva said. “After looking around, the best person they could find is a Trump political operative at HUD who turned a blind eye to Secretary Carson’s $31,000 dining set.”
One internal probe at Interior, requested by Mr. Grijalva, is centered on a real-estate proposal in Mr. Zinke’s hometown of Whitefish, Montana, involving his wife, a charitable foundation he started, and the executive chairman of Halliburton. Mr. Zinke has reportedly resigned from the foundation, and has said he doesn’t stand to gain if the deal goes forward.
Mr. Carson told staff in an email that he has “mixed emotions” about Ms. Tufts leaving HUD.
“Suzanne is an extremely enthusiastic and energetic leader who re-established HUD’s office of administration, implementing improvements to the agency’s governance and internal controls,” he said. “During her time with us, Suzanne also commenced the most focused and strategic collective bargaining process in the agency’s history.”
Nicole Ghio, senior program manager at Friends of the Earth U.S. said the transfer of Ms. Tufts “is a terrible sign.”
“Tufts will be a rubber stamp for Zinke’s bad behavior that has already triggered 14 federal investigations into his conduct,” she said. “Americans rely on the inspectors general to be impartial, stopping the type of corruption and abuses of power that have become the hallmark of Zinke’s time in office by bringing the truth to light. Placing Tufts in charge of the [Interior] IG’s office is nothing short of Trump assigning a wolf to guard the sheep.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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