NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (UPI) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke to take over as interior secretary, according to sources close to the transition team.
CNN cited a source with first-hand knowledge of the decision who said the offer was extended by Trump and accepted by Zinke.
A freshman congressman, Zinke has been in the U.S. House for nearly two years and serves on the House Natural Resources and Armed Services committees. He ran for his congressional seat on a platform of establishing U.S. energy independence, The Washington Post reported.
Zinke, 55, is also a former U.S. Navy SEAL and legislator in the Montana Senate.
An official announcement is expected soon. Zinke was at Trump Tower in New York on Monday to meet with the president-elect.
This week, it was reported that Trump had chosen former Texas Gov. Rick Perry as energy secretary and Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.
