Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke assured President Trump in a private meeting Friday that he had no role in a small energy company from his hometown in Montana securing a $300 million contract to restore power in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
Mr. Trump asked Mr. Zinke in the Oval Office meeting that he had nothing to do with the contract awarded to Whitefish Energy Holdings, a firm that had two employees before the deal. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr. Trump asked Mr. Zinke “just for clarification” purposes.
“This is a contract that was determined by local authorities,” she said, asserting that the federal government “has nothing to do” with the contract.
Mrs. Sanders also noted that the deal is being audited, and the White House will wait for the audit to be completed before commenting further.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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