Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has taken not less than 18 flights on taxpayer-funded non-public jets since taking workplace, regardless of calls to chop emissions and after a Trump Cupboard official was compelled to resign over his non-public jet use.
Fox Information Channel first broke the story Monday, with a DOT spokesperson confirming the reporting to DailyMail.com.
‘Secretary Buttigieg largely travels by business airline, and has directed that journey and logistical selections be grounded in environment friendly and accountable use of taxpayer {dollars},’ a DOT spokesperson mentioned. ‘On condition that business air journey is often the most cost effective manner for the Secretary and his employees to journey, 108 of the 126 flights for DOT journeys he has taken have been on business airways.’
‘Nevertheless, there are some instances the place it’s extra environment friendly and/or cheaper for the Secretary and accompanying personnel to fly on a 9-seater FAA aircraft relatively than business flights,’ the assertion continued. ‘Use of the FAA aircraft in restricted, particular instances has helped to maximise effectivity and save hundreds of taxpayer {dollars}.’
Buttigieg has been utilizing two Cessna 560XL non-public jets which can be a part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s fleet.
It is unclear how a lot the non-public flights have price taxpayers, however the FAA beforehand charged federal businesses roughly $5,000 per hour to make use of its planes, Fox mentioned.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has taken not less than 18 flights on taxpayer-funded non-public jets since taking workplace, regardless of calls to chop emissions and after a Trump Cupboard official was compelled to resign over his non-public jet use
Fox Information reported that Pete Buttigieg used two Cessna 560XL non-public jets (pictured) which can be a part of the FAA’s fleet
The inside of a Cessna 560XL, the federal government non-public jets that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg used on not less than 18 events
Most of the flights have been to locales the place business flights depart from D.C. day by day.
In August 2021, Buttigieg took a spherical journey to Las Vegas to debate public works tasks in Nevada.
This August, he flew to a number of states to spotlight grants being doled out as a part of the bipartisan infrastructure legislation.
Buttigieg traveled to Florida, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada and New Hampshire for a ‘Constructing a Higher America Tour.’
On the time, Politico requested why Buttigieg – who ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020 towards now President Joe Biden – was heading to swing states.
The Transportation Secretary identified that Oklahoma wasn’t a swing state and mentioned ‘there was a fantastic story’ to inform about an infrastructure grant there.
‘We’ll locations that show the vary of issues you are able to do with good transportation {dollars},’ Buttigieg mentioned.
He took a personal jet once more in late September to fly to Montreal.
Buttigieg attended an Worldwide Civil Aviation Group convention, but in addition accepted an award from a Canadian LGBTQ group for ‘contributions to the development of LGBTQ rights.’
Former Well being and Human Companies Secretary Tom Value resigned in September 2017 over his use of presidency non-public jets on journeys that blended enterprise and plesasure.
Value confronted criticism for taking a personal jet between Dulles Worldwide Airport exterior of Washington and suburban Philadelphia – a distance one might drive or take the prepare.
Value additionally took a authorities jet to St. Simons Island, a Georgia resort the place his household owns land, forward of a speech he was delivering.
The conservative watchdog group Individuals for Public Belief additionally identified that Buttigieg’s predecessor Elaine Chao used the jets half as a lot because the Democrat and nonetheless confronted criticism.
‘On a regular basis Individuals face flight cancellations and lengthy wait instances as a result of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has utterly mismanaged air journey. But, he will get to keep away from all that by taking taxpayer-funded non-public jets to locations with available business airline choices,’ mentioned Caitlin Sutherland, Govt Director of Individuals for Public Belief.
‘And for somebody so holier-than-thou on lowering emissions, Buttigieg certain does not appear to thoughts the air pollution brought on by his literal jet-setting,’ she continued. ‘That is hypocrisy at its best, and these troubling bills to taxpayers should come beneath speedy scrutiny.’
