CNN: Zinke's Meeting with NHL Team Under Investigation

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s meeting over the summer with a professional hockey team in Las Vegas is under internal investigation, CNN reports.

Two federal watchdogs are looking into why Zinke used a private jet to fly from Las Vegas to Montana after he gave a motivational speech to the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ NHL team, owned by someone Zinke called “a major donor” when he was running for Congress in 2014.

The Office of Special Counsel has opened a Hatch Act investigation into Zinke’s meeting and the Interior Department’s inspector general has added the gathering to its ongoing investigation into Zinke’s use of private jets.

"Claims that the secretary's full schedule required the use of chartered aircraft deserve scrutiny. It appears as though Secretary Zinke and his staff could have taken a commercial flight from Las Vegas to Montana if he did not attend the motivational speech to the hockey team owned by his friend and campaign donor, Bill Foley," Democratic Reps. Donald McEachin and Raul Grijalva wrote to the inspector general at the Department of Interior.

Zinke gave a speech to the Knights on June 26 and then met with players at a hotel across the street from their practice facility. He took a charter jet home to Montana after to “meet the great governor of the great state of Montana,” a flight that cost taxpayers $12,375. An Interior Department spokesperson said no commercial flights were available for the late-night travel.

• Dems Rebuke Zinke, Demand Apology Over 'Loyalty' Comments
• Report: Zinke Took $12K Charter Flight Home in Oil Executive's Plane