A government watchdog group wants to know if Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin used a government plane to get a better view of Monday’s solar eclipse.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a Freedom of Information Act request Wednesday for copies of records concerning authorization for, and the costs of, Mnuchin’s use of a government plane to travel to Lexington, Ky., on Monday.
Mnuchin was joined on the trip by his wife, Louise Linton.
CREW also asked for records concerning authorization for and the costs of Mnuchin’s use of a government plane since he became Treasury secretary.
On Monday, Mnuchin appeared alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at a luncheon with the Louisville Chamber of Commerce. Mnuchin and McConnell, R-Ky., then toured the gold bullion depository in Fort Knox.
CREW said the requested records would “shed light on the justification for Secretary Mnuchin’s use of a government plane, rather than a commercial flight, for a trip that seems to have been planned around the solar eclipse and to enable the Secretary to secure a viewpoint in the path of the eclipse’s totality.”
Mnuchin’s trip to Kentucky has already drawn scrutiny.
After sharing a photo of Linton and Mnuchin leaving the government plane during the trip to Kentucky on her Instagram, Linton lashed out at another user, “jennimiller29.”
“Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable,” Jenni Miller wrote in a comment on the image.
“Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you’d be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours,” Linton responded. “You’re adorably out of touch.”
Linton apologized Tuesday for her comments to the woman, saying they were “inappropriate and highly insensitive.”
