Inspectors general have opened at least five investigations into the private travel habits of several members of President Donald Trump's administration, The Washington Post reported.
In addition to former Health and Human Services head Tom Price, who resigned for running up a tab of $1 million using private travel, five other investigations are open into the travel habits of Trump officials:
- Rick Perry, Energy secretary.
- Ryan Zinke, Interior chief.
- David Shulkin, head of the VA.
- Steve Mnuchin, Treasury secretary.
- Scott Pruitt, EPA administrator.
Further, it was reported last week that transportation secretary Elaine Chao eschewed commercial flights for FAA private planes seven times.
Perry was pressured Friday by the House Oversight Committee to turn over documentation regarding his travel — six trips on government or private planes instead of commercial travel, the Post reported.
Zinke's travel has been a mixed bag of official business vs. fundraiser stops, and has included his wife, the Post reported.
Shulkin mixed business with pleasure in a trip to Denmark and England, which included his wife, the Post reported.
Mnuchin's travel — including the now infamous trip to Fort Knox — has been cleared but deemed poorly justified, the Post reported.
"The tone is set at the top,” said Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told the Post. "When you have a president who is visiting his private resorts every weekend at great cost to taxpayers, it is not surprising that Cabinet members are using private jets to get to standard meetings.”