Developer Defends Land Deal Linking Zinke to Halliburton Chief

...In an interview with the Beacon, Malmquist said his relationship with Lesar dates back nearly two decades, to when he built the Halliburton executive’s home near Lion Mountain. Since then, Lesar has invested in several development projects led by Malmquist. The developer dispelled any narrative that his or Lesar’s financial stake in the project and their negotiations with Zinke were unscrupulous or intended to curry favors for Halliburton, nor did Zinke express any interest in the project’s potential to boost his property values or lead to future business investments, according to Malmquist. The property has long been eyed for development. “We have a shared-use agreement to build a parking lot that we are paying for and it benefits both the peace park and our project. That is a very common development scheme,” Malmquist said. “There’s no money exchanged and no financial favors. Halliburton has never, ever come up in the discussions ever.” “They literally have made a mountain out of a sled hill,” he said of the national reports...MORE