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Inspector standard investigating Pete Buttigieg’s intensive non-public jet vacation after Fox News Digital report

Inspector standard investigating Pete Buttigieg’s intensive non-public jet vacation after Fox News Digital report

The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) inner watchdog is opening an audit into Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over his intensive use of personal jets, the agency verified to Fox News Digital on Monday.

The DOT Inspector Basic investigation arrives around two months subsequent a Fox News Electronic report that showed Buttigieg, who has repeatedly argued in favor of aggressive motion to combat local weather improve, has taken at least 18 flights making use of taxpayer-funded non-public jets because using workplace in early 2021. Flight information reviewed by Fox News Digital aligned with Buttigieg’s inside calendar acquired at the time by federal government watchdog group Individuals for Community Have confidence in (APT).

“After Individuals for General public Have faith in aided determine Secretary Buttigieg’s abnormal use of taxpayer-funded government jets, we are delighted to see that his air journey is now underneath investigation,” APT govt director Caitlin Sutherland explained to Fox News Electronic on Monday. 

“Daily Americans have confronted unparalleled flight cancelations and disruptions, but Buttigieg has continued to fly non-public, even on a Coast Guard airplane and even when commercial alternatives were being easily accessible.”

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during the National Association of Counties 2023 Legislative Conference on Feb. 13.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks throughout the National Affiliation of Counties 2023 Legislative Convention on Feb. 13. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Contact, Inc by way of Getty Images)

In a single instance of his use of governing administration-managed personal jets, which are section of a little fleet managed by the Federal Aviation Administration, Buttigieg traveled roundtrip from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas to encourage public will work tasks in Nevada in August 2021.

In another illustration, Buttigieg applied a private jet to fly to a number of states — most of which have mainly been regarded swing states in current federal elections — in August as a section of a tour highlighting grants approved less than the Infrastructure Expenditure and Jobs Act. He jetted to Florida, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada and New Hampshire for the duration of the trip titled “Creating a Superior The us Tour.”

The transportation secretary also took a army aircraft to go to the Fifth Invictus Video games in Europe with his partner Chasten Buttigieg in April 2022. And, that exact month, Buttigieg jetted off to New York Town on just one of the govt planes for a radio job interview and two temporary conferences just before returning hours afterwards.

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“We welcome this unbiased audit transferring ahead in buy to set some of the false, outlandish, and cynical promises about the Secretary’s method of vacation to relaxation. The simple fact stays that he flies commercially the wide the vast majority of the time,” a DOT spokesperson told Fox News Electronic.

“The exceptions have been when the Department’s job ethics officers, who have served underneath the two Democratic and Republican administrations, established that the use of a 9-seat FAA plane would be both more charge helpful or really should be permitted for outstanding scheduling or protection reasons,” the spokesperson added.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during a briefing at the White House on May 16, 2022.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks throughout a briefing at the White Dwelling on Could 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Buttigieg also tweeted Monday that he was thankful for the investigation and added when he utilizes governing administration-managed jets, “it is commonly a predicament the place performing so will save taxpayer money.”

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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., initially requested that the DOT Inspector Common open up an investigation into Buttigieg on Dec. 16.

“It is unclear why Secretary Buttigieg would have to have these types of pricey journey in these circumstances when far more cost-effective possibilities have been reportedly available,” the Republican lawmaker wrote at the time.

Federal government officials have obtain to the Basic Solutions Administration’s Town Pair System which enables them to fly on a selection of airlines at down below-market flat fares. The system is made to make certain minimal prices for official federal govt vacation.

Buttigieg’s predecessor Elaine Chao, who led the DOT during the Trump administration, was criticized just after it was discovered she used governing administration-managed planes on seven events in 2017, costing taxpayers about $94,000. 

Former Health and Human Products and services Secretary Tom Value was compelled to resign soon after it was documented he had expense taxpayers extra than $1 million applying federal government jets.