Zinke told police a Post reporter caused a fracas at his house. Here's what really happened.
Source: Washington Post
Zinke told police a Post reporter caused a fracas at his house. Here’s what really happened.
A newly released police report by U.S. Park Police, a division of Interior, fingers a mysterious reporter driving a Mercedes Benz SUV.
By Darryl Fears, Lisa Rein and Juliet Eilperin February 1 at 5:37 PM
Before his rocky tenure as Secretary of the Interior came to a close in December, Ryan Zinke was a man on edge.
He was worried about liberal protesters, who had started badgering Trump officials and other conservatives in public places around Washington. He was suspicious of his anti-Trump neighbors. And he was furious with relentless news coverage of the proliferating inquiries into his management and behavior.
All of which helps to explain the strange night of Nov. 5, when Zinke called U.S. Park Police about a minor disagreement over parking outside his Capitol Hill home. The U.S. Park Police, a division of the Interior Department, is in charge of Zinke’s security.
“You would have sent the cavalry” if a call came in from the secretary, said Park Police spokesman Eduardo Delgado.
Zinke made the call while he and some friends were drinking beer and watching the Tennessee Titans play the Dallas Cowboys. In an interview this week, Zinke said he was grilling when he heard a commotion on the street. One of his guests stepped out, spoke to some neighbors and then alerted Zinke: “We have a possible reporter outside.’”
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In fact, there was no reporter out front. Two of Zinke’s neighbors had confronted the driver of a large black SUV that was idling outside the house and taking up more than one parking space. After being berated by the neighbors, the driver, an off-duty New York police officer playing chauffeur for one of Zinke’s guests, eventually drove away.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/02/01/zinke-told-police-post-reporter-caused-fracas-his-house-heres-what-really-happened/
