Background:
Early in the Trump administration, it was discovered that then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price had been using a government plane for his travel, at taxpayer expense. According to Politico, during just one week Price used a chartered jet for five different trips — costing the government upwards of $60,000. Price soon resigned from his position, but he was far from the only Trump administration official to be flying in luxury and letting the public pick up the bill.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s travel on military jets cost taxpayers more than $800,000, and former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt drew criticism for first-class, military, and charter flights costing more than $160,000.
American Oversight sued the Department of Defense, the FAA, and GSA for records of “MilAir” and other government-owned aircraft flights. Our litigation forced the release of records detailing travel by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, FEMA Administrator Brock Long, and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The records show that Secretary Chao spent $94,000 on taxpayer-funded travel on government aircraft during the same time period as former Secretary Price.
