Former Trump official Ryan Zinke files paperwork for congressional seat in Montana

He represented Montana's at-large district for two years before joining the Trump administration.

Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who served under Donald Trump and resigned in 2018 amid multiple ethics investigations, filed paperwork on Thursday afternoon to run for Montana's soon-to-be-established 2nd Congressional District. Montana was allotted an additional district as a result of population growth tracked in the 2020 Census. Zinke, a Republican, previously represented Montana's at-large district from 2015 to 2017. Zinke resigned amid investigations into his use of chartered planes, though the Interior Department's watchdog later said those flights did not break any rules, but some of the costs could have been avoided. Zinke's use of charter or military planes was first confirmed amid questions about spending on travel for multiple cabinet officials in 2017 when Trump fired former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price after it was reported that he spent more than $1 million on travel, including private flights.