"A former counselor to then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke “misused their position” by helping several friends with energy-related meetings and presentations, Interior Department investigators say in a report made public today.

The unnamed counselor during the Trump administration also “failed to comply” with notification requirements concerning negotiations for post-Interior employment with an oil company, the Office of Inspector General reported.

But while identifying several missteps, the OIG investigators concluded the former highly placed adviser did not violate federal conflict-of-interest provisions or the executive branch ethics pledge."

Michael Doyle reports for E&E News July 12, 2022. [2]