INCOMPLETE DOCUMENTATION 

MANAGEMENT ADVISORY 

IDENTIFIED DURING INVESTIGATION
 

November 2017 
Office of Inspector General | Washington, DC 20240

OFFICE OF

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

INSPECTOR GENERAL

Memorandum 

To: David W. Bernhardt

Deputy Secretary

From: Mary L. Kendall

Deputy Inspector General

Subject: Management Advisory – Incomplete Documentation Identified During Case No. 

OI-PI-17-1040-I 

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is currently investigating multiple allegations 

regarding Secretary Ryan Zinke’s travel. During our work, we discovered several issues that 

need prompt attention and changes to current IOS procedures. 

Our investigation has been delayed by absent, or incomplete documentation for several 

pertinent trips and a review process that failed to include proper documentation and 

accountability. Although we have received full cooperation from all employees contacted, we 

have found the documentation and adherence to Departmental travel policies deficient and 

without proper management oversight and accountability. Many authorizations and vouchers 

required for Secretary Zinke’s fiscal year (FY) 2017 travel have yet to be completed and 

processed. In addition, we learned that the Office of the Solicitor (SOL) and Department Ethics 

officials have established a process to review and approve Secretarial travel, but the process does 

not include sufficient documentation of the legal and ethical analysis conducted to distinguish 

between personal, political, and official travel, or consistent cost analysis to justify use of noncommercial travel. Finally, based on the documents we have received to date, we have not been 

able to determine the full extent to which Lolita Zinke, the Secretary’s wife, accompanied the 

Secretary on official travel. 

While we have received some requested documentation, we seek your assistance in 

obtaining additional information necessary for us to complete a thorough and timely 

investigation of Secretary Zinke’s travel. We request that the following be provided to our office 

no later than December 11, 2017: 

Complete documentation for all FY17 Secretarial travel (authorizations, vouchers,

reimbursements).

Complete documentation for all FY17 travel for the Secretary’s wife when she

accompanied him on official travel. This documentation should describe all instances

when Mrs. Zinke traveled in a government-owned vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft, and

whether payment on her behalf was paid in advance, determined to be reimbursable,

or no reimbursement required.
2

In addition, we make the following recommendations for IOS to address: 

1. Develop and implement procedures (with appropriate performance management

measures) to complete the timely processing of future Secretarial travel documents in

accordance with government travel regulations and Department policy.

2. Develop and implement procedures to ensure consistent documentation of the SOL’s

legal and ethical analysis of the Secretary’s future travel, to include the review, analysis,

and approval of:

Use of non-commercial transportation;

Personal and political travel, and need for reimbursement;

Accompanied spousal or family travel.

Please provide a written response detailing the actions you will be taking to address our 

recommendations. You may either email your response to Matthew_Elliott@doioig.gov, or send 

to: 

Office of Inspector General 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Room 4427, Stewart Udall Building 

Washington, DC 20240 

In accordance with the IG Empowerment Act of 2016, we will publish this memorandum 

on our website no later than 3 days from the date of issue. 

If you have questions or need further information concerning this matter, please contact 

Matthew Elliott, Assistant, Inspector General for Investigations, at 202-208-5745. 
Departmental Response to 

Management Advisory
THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR 


WASHINGTON 


NOV 1 6 2017 

Ms. Mary L. Kendall 

Deputy Inspector General 

U.S. Department ofthe Interior 

1849 C Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20240 

Deputy Inspector General Kendall: 

Thank you for providing me with the November 15, 2017 Management Advisory (Advisory), 

regarding the Immediate Office ofthe Secretary (IOS) travel procedures. It is my understanding 

that the purpose ofthe Advisory is to communicate recommendations for program improvement. 

We are committed to implementing the best management practices throughout the Department of 

the Interior (Department). 

I appreciate your acknowledgement that you have "received full cooperation from all employees 

contacted." You will continue to receive full cooperation from Department employees, and we 

will accommodate your additional document production request timeframe. 

Last week, you and I discussed your office's need for additional documents as part of your 

office's review. Per my direction, the requested materials were promptly provided. 

When I arrived at the Department in August 2017, it was clear to me that the Secretary and I 

inherited an organizational and operational mess from the previous Administration. From my 

perspective, regarding IOS travel procedures, it appears that the exact same procedures and 

processes utilized by the previous Administration remain in place and continue to be 

dysfunctional. 

For example, it is my understanding that travel vouchers for Secretary Jewell's trips beginning 

on the dates set forth below have yet to be completed. Indeed, until late last week, it was 

apparently unclear whether all of Secretary Jewell's vouchers had even been entered into the 

Department's tracking system. 

1) September 13, 2016 (CA-NV); 

2) September 21, 2016 (Denver); 

3) October 12, 2016 (ME); 

4) October 19, 2016 (CA-AK-WA); 

5) October 26, 2016 (AL-GA-DE); 

6) November 10, 2016 (Philadelphia); 

7) November 16, 2016 (Denver); 

8) November 19, 2016 (MT-WY); 
2 

9) December 7, 2016 (NM); 


10) December 13, 2016 (CA-TX-NV-WY); 


11) January 2, 2017 (ID); and 


12) January 10, 2017 (Chicago-NYC). 


For IOS document production, the primary point of contact for your investigators should be 

Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Argo. 

In response to your two additional documents requests, please see below: 

1) 	 Secretarial Travel: Per your request, the Department will work to provide available 

documentation for all Fiscal Year 2017 Secretarial travel (authorizations, vouchers, and 

reimbursements). Subsequently, as part ofthis effort, the Department will also work to 

provide available documentation for the 12 travel vouchers arising from Secretary 

Jewell's travel that remain incomplete. 

2) 	 Spousal Travel: Per your request, the Department will document and provide 

information for all instances when a Secretary's spouse traveled in a Government-owned 

vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft, and document whether payment on his/her behalf was paid 

in advance, determined to be reimbursable, or deemed no reimbursement required. 

I appreciate your recommendations for IOS. As I evaluate them and initiate implementation, I 

request input from your office on specific examples, objective metrics, and measures that you are 

aware ofthat help build a process that both creates value and ensures compliance with all 

applicable laws, rules, and regulations. 

Finally, I also request all Management Advisories regarding IOS issued by your office over the 

past 10 years be provided to me immediately, so that I can better identify the full scope ofthe 

systemic problems that potentially exist. 

On behalf ofthe Department, I thank you for your office's diligence and sense ofurgency in 

identifying ways that the Department can improve its program operations. 

Sincerely, 

David L. Bernhardt 
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