Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke joins at least three other Trump Cabinet officials that have used a private jet or military aircraft, according to a report Thursday.
Included in Zinke’s travel is a $12,000 charter plane for an event in his home state of Montana and private flights between two islands in the Caribbean, Politico reported.
Heather Swift, Interior Department spokeswoman, said Zinke’s use of these aircraft was scheduled when commercial flights did not fit Zinke’s schedule. She added that the flights were “pre-cleared by career officials in the ethics office.”
It’s unclear so far whether Zinke plans to reimburse the government.
Other Trump administration officials to have used a private jet or military aircraft Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
Price, who is at the forefront of the private jet travel controversy, has faced criticism for racking up over $1 million in fees using both private jets and military aircraft. Price has already promised to reimburse the government for his own seats on private jets for domestic trips, amounting to approximately $52,000 out of the $400,000 total tab. The cost for the military flights is not included in that amount.
Travel on military aircraft is generally granted only to the president, vice president, and Cabinet members who oversee national security issues, such as the secretary of defense and the secretary of state.
