Pete Buttigieg has traveled across the country on taxpayer-funded flights, though maybe not always for the good of the people to whom he is responsible.
The internal watchdog of the Transportation Department revealed on Monday that an audit of the Biden cabinet member would soon be conducted in an effort to ascertain if the frequent flier has utilized government aircraft for personal whims when less expensive alternatives were available.
Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) efforts to find out if Buttigieg has been flagrantly violating the rules for using Federal Aviation Admin. aircraft led to the launch of this probe. Rubio stated that a Dec. 12 Fox News report had made him aware of the possibility of abuse.
The Office of the Secretary’s compliance with Federal rules, policies, and procedures involving executive travel on DOT planes will be the subject of an audit, the DOT Office of Inspector General stated in a letter sent on Monday.
“Sen. Marco Rubio asked that we look into whether the Secretary’s usage of government planes for both domestic and international trips complied with all applicable Federal rules and DOT procedures and policies,” according to Charles Ward, principal assistant inspector general for audits and assessments at the DOT.
Buttigieg, who has long criticized the effects of oil and gas, has reportedly spent a lot of money and fuel flying across the nation on private aircraft, according to prior reports in the media.
Buttigieg reportedly used private planes overseen by the FAA on at least 18 occasions since becoming DOT secretary as of December 2022. Given that most of the destinations were listed as swing states in Fox News’ initial damaging story, it is possible that the Democratic official’s intentions were partisan in nature.
In one occasion, he took a private aircraft to travel to Canada, where he attended an event for the LGBT community to accept an award for his “contributions to the promotion of LGBTQ rights” in addition to a meeting for the International Civil Aviation Organization.
According to an internet critic, the FAA charges federal agencies a lot more than a $200 domestic ticket ($5,000 per hour) to fly using its fleet.
According to Buttigieg’s office, the secretary’s excursions aboard FAA aircraft, with the exception of one, were all less expensive than taking a commercial flight, and the total cost was $41,905.20, the Washington Post reported.
The DOT further asserted that 119 of the 138 trips Buttigieg allegedly took after taking office included commercial airlines.
The Post claims that Buttigieg’s predecessor in the Trump admin. only made seven journeys on FAA aircraft. However, over the course of four years, Anthony Foxx, the former DOT secretary under President Barack Obama, made 116 trips on FAA aircraft.
If the allegations of Buttigieg’s improprieties are true, Rubio said in a letter to the DOT inspector general on December 16, “it would represent yet another alarming example of this administration’s ongoing propensity to flout basic ethics guidelines.”
“The definition of Government aircraft includes chartered aircraft,” Rubio emphasized, adding that “since the taxpayers should pay no more than needed for your transportation, normally you may travel on Govt. aircraft solely if a Govt. aircraft offers the most cost-effective mode of travel.”
Lock that slimy weasel up!
I think it is time for all government officials (supposedly servants of the people) to be required to fly commercially on their own dime and stop wasting our money.
It should be paying for flying. Then If work related then file for reimbursement if applicable !POS
secretary of transportation Butt Plug is probably one of the least qualified secretaries in this cabinet. No pun intended by he is just along for the ride. He figured he would spend 4 years and that this position would boost (is he a he or a her) to the presidency. Well in just 2 short years you have seen what he can’t do and that is efficiently run a department. So little time to mess so much up and almost being nonexistent when needed.
My assumption is Pete was appointed because he’s openly gay and has a husband. Qualifications and competency were never a consideration, as is evidenced by other admin appointees.
It used to be that there were equal opportunity hiring practices.
If you had 2 equally qualified prospects, and one was a minority, then the minority was chosen.
Biden has perverted that process by choosing candidates only by their sex, or skin color. He does not care if they are qualified or experienced at all. Hey, Buttigieg is openly gay, that’s all that counts.
The American people deserve better.
I don’t care what their color or sexual preferences are, as long as they are effective in their job, and dignified as representatives of the American government.
If they are not, they need to go.
Biden’s cabinet is full of incompetent clowns.