Pete Buttigieg is no stranger to controversy. The current US Transportation Secretary has been accused of misusing taxpayer dollars for private travel and shows no signs of stopping.
Last month, Buttigieg flew on a taxpayer-funded plane from New York City to Washington D.C. and back in a matter of hours. Not only did this cost taxpayers $228, but the Energy Information Administration also estimated the fuel alone for such a flight would cost $1,060. This blatant disregard for the environment and taxpayers’ wallets is unacceptable.
“It’s laughable Secretary Buttigieg flew private to New York City to meet with the head of a liberal dark money group instead of taking Amtrak,” said Caitlin Sutherland, Executive Director of Americans for Public Trust. “He clearly thinks his time is more valuable than the taxpayers, who are left not only dealing with the fallout of his travel mismanagement but are also left footing the bill for his taxpayer-funded jet.”
It’s not the first time Buttigieg has been criticized for misusing government funds for private travel. Recently, Americans for Public Trust uncovered that Buttigieg chartered a military jet to take him and his husband, Chasten, to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands. While the White House National Security Council noted that such travel was “standard practice”, it has still cost taxpayers thousands of dollars.
Sadly, this kind of travel mismanagement has cost government officials their jobs in the past. Tom Price resigned as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) after racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in inappropriate travel and his predecessor, Elaine Chao, was also criticized after using government planes seven times at a cost of $94,000.
It’s time for the Biden administration to hold Buttigieg accountable and stop this wasteful behavior. Taxpayer money is a precious commodity. It’s time to stop allowing government officials to use it carelessly and without consequence. It’s time to ensure that taxpayers’ money is used responsibly and in the best interest of all citizens.