Ryan Zinke is pretending to be a geologist

The following article by A.P. Joyce was posted on the mic.com website April 20, 2018:

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

It’s been discovered that Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke lied about his credentials on multiple occasions, telling people that he is a geologist, when in fact his is not and has never been.

An analysis by CNN found at least 40 occasions in which Zinke claimed to be a geologist, frequently using it to boost his credentials on issues like resource extraction, which his department deals with frequently.

While attending the University of Oregon on a football scholarship, Zinke majored in geology — a major he claims in his autobiography to have chosen at random.

After college, Zinke went directly into the Navy, where he served for 23 years before entering the world of business and then politics. The Interior Department defended Zinke’s claim in a statement, citing his bona fides.

“Ryan Zinke graduated with honors with a B.S. in Geology,” said interior spokesperson Heather Swift. “His intended career path was underwater geology — and he had college jobs to support that career. Upon graduation he was recruited to be an officer in the US Navy SEALs where he proudly served for 23 years and retired with the rank of commander.”