Washington (CNN) A government ethics watchdog has cleared Ryan Zinke of allegations that as interior secretary he violated federal rules and orchestrated a grant announcement to influence a special election in Pennsylvania, according to a letter obtained by CNN. The Office of Special Counsel "investigation found no evidence that you violated the Hatch Act during this event," the letter reads. The Office of Special Counsel, which is separate from Robert Muller's investigation into Russian election meddling, investigates allegations of violations, and explained its findings in a letter to the Interior Department dated Monday. Asked about the letter, Zinke, who left the Trump administration at the beginning of January, told CNN on Tuesday the conclusions are "no surprise." "Every false allegation and subsequent investigation has resulted in the same conclusion: I followed all rules, regulations, and most importantly the law," he said.

Source: CNN March 12, 2019 17:24 UTC