In the wake of revelations that former Health and Human Services Secretary took chartered and military flights totaling over $1 million, journalists have revealed that he is far from the only Trump cabinet member to do so.
An investigation by the Washington Post shows that in the nearly nine months since President Donald Trump took office, his cabinet members have taken 71 military or chartered flights.
Along with Price,Treasury Secretary , Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and EPA administrator Scott Pruitt have all used government planes for work travel.
As the Post's maps show, the secretaries have traveled extensively on the taxpayer's dime. The practice, as the Treasury's inspector general's office determined yesterday, is not illegal, but is nevertheless problematic given that it can easily be avoided.
“Just because something’s legal doesn’t make it right,” Treasury inspector general counsel Rich Delmar said in his departments' report on Mnuchin's travel. "With few exceptions, the commercial air system used by millions of Americans every day is appropriate, even for very senior officials."
Though it's currently unclear what the total cost of the cabinet members' travel is, at least $1.8 million was spent on Price and Mnuchin's travel alone.
