Inspector General Investigating Buttigieg’s Use of Taxpayer-Funded Jets

Transportation secretary facing backlash after audit Pete Buttigieg (D.), / Getty Images

Monday’s announcement by the Department of Transportation was an internal audit of Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s use of taxpayer-funded aircraft. This comes at a time when the secretary is widely criticised for his handling of the East Palestine train derailment, Ohio.

Buttigieg used departmental planes, the inspector general’s office said in a Memo It determines whether the department is eligible for funding. “complied with Federal regulations, policies, and procedures regarding executive travel on DOT aircraft.”

Marco Rubio, Republican Senator from Florida, requested an audit in December 2022. It was suggested that Buttigieg had misused government resources by more than a dozen flights on government-owned jets.

“Taxpayers should pay no more than necessary for your transportation,” Rubio A letter was sent to you Eric Soskin, the inspector general of the department.

Buttigieg flew on 18 Federal Aviation Administration jets to go on official trips that cost $41,905.20. The office of the secretary The Washington Post. The department claimed that private travel was cheaper than commercial flights in every instance except one.

This investigation comes as Buttigieg is under fire for the delayed response of his department to the train derailment, and subsequent toxic chemical release into East Palestine, Ohio. He took nearly two weeks to admit the crisis, and three weeks to travel to East Palestine. Buttigieg spent most of his time in the devastation. criticizing Former president Donald Trump and Republicans

Since the federal government had taken over cleanup, the Biden administration has been in charge. This has been stopped the removal of toxic waste from the town, with some truckloads full of toxins returning to East Palestine.

Buttigieg also has been responsible for numerous breakdowns in commercial aviation. In January, all commercial flights were grounded by a programming error at Federal Aviation Administration, part of the Transportation Department. This was the first time that this happened since September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Buttigieg’s use government jets is also in contrast to his comments about climate change. “The climate crisis is here today, threatening Americans’ lives and livelihoods, our homes and businesses, and even the way we travel and operate our federal agencies,” Buttigieg In 2021.

Studies Show Private jets are able to emit as much as 5 to 14 times the pollution of commercial planes.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa), has asked for more information about Buttigieg’s.