Trump's flyboys: Who is in trouble over private or military aircraft use and….

Source: Washington Examiner | September 29, 2017 | Daniel Chaitin

Trump’s flyboys: Who is in trouble over private or military aircraft use and who might be next

Four members of President Trump’s Cabinet have become embroiled in a growing controversy over the use of private or military aircraft, costing thousands of dollars at the taxpayers’ expense, and more names could soon be added to that list.

Here’s a look at what we know about the situation surrounding this quartet of Trump administration officials — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke — and who might be next.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin

The whole private jet debacle began just over a month ago, at the end of August, with Mnuchin, a former hedge fund manager, and his new wife, Louise Linton. Linton grabbed headlines after she posted a photo on Instagram bragging about her designer outfit and accessories. She subsequently clashed with a women on social media and insinuated she had sacrificed more for the U.S. because she was rich. But it was the photo that she posted that caught the attention of a watchdog group because it showed her and Mnuchin departing a government plane during a trip to Kentucky. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a Freedom of Information Act request for copies of records concerning authorization for, and the costs of, Mnuchin’s use of a government plane to travel to Lexington, Ky.

……

Treasury Department officials have defended Mnuchin’s viewing of the eclipse, saying that it was planned around “official government travel.”

Mnuchin also raised eyebrows when reports revealed he inquired about using a military plane for his honeymoon in Europe over the summer — a move he justified as being related to national security. He withdrew the request when he found another option. He also flew on a military jet back to Washington, D.C., following an appearance at Trump Tower in New York City last month. Mnuchin said he had a call lined up that needed to be secure. “There are times when I need secure communications to be in touch with the president and the National Security Council,” Mnuchin said on ABC’s “This Week.”

……

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price

Secretary Price has become the poster child of the air travel controversy with Politico’s series of reports that have found he took at least 24 private charter jet flights costing the federal government about $400,000 this year. His use of private jets can be traced back to May when he missed a meeting due to a commercial flight on a day when wide-spread stormy weather caused many flights to be delayed or cancelled.

……

Hours later Politico published yet another report on Price, revealing that he used military aircraft during trips to Africa, Europe, and Asia this year, costing taxpayers an additional $500,000-plus, putting his total tab above $1 million since May. Travel on military aircraft is considered on a case-by-case basis, but typically is granted only to the president, vice president, and Cabinet members who oversee national security issues.

…..

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt

Pruitt’s trips back to his home state of Oklahoma, where he previously served as attorney general were put under a microscope after the nonprofit Environment Integrity Project released a report in July that documented Pruitt’s travel using records acquired through FOIA requests.

……

Separately, reports came out this week that Pruitt opted to use a private plane and military jet for trips over the summer. In defending each of the instances, the EPA cited logistical concerns.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

Secretary Zinke became the latest Cabinet-level official to become involved in the air travel controversy when Politico reported Thursday evening that he traveled via private jet or military aircraft — including a $12,000 charter plane flight — to an event in his home state of Montana and between two islands in the Caribbean.

Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift said private or military aircraft were used in lieu of commercial flights because of scheduling concerns. The flights were “pre-cleared by career officials in the ethics office,” she added.

……

CREW has issued FOIA requests not only for travel-related documents for Mnuchin, Price, Pruitt, and Zinke, but also at least two other top Trump officials: Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

…….

Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.