The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee threatened to subpoena Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday after the panel’s leaders say they have not “received sufficient communication” from the Justice Department about the Trump administration’s use of private aircraft.
The Justice Department appears to have missed the Oct. 10 deadline for the committee’s request for information about the use of government-owned and private planes for both official and personal trips, as some Cabinet officials faced intense scrutiny over their air travel at the taxpayers’ expense last month. The controversy ultimately led to the exit of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, who racked up a non-commercial travel bill of more than $1 million.
The original letter was sent to 24 federal agencies and White House chief of staff John Kelly.
In a new letter addressed to Sessions, Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and ranking member Elijah Cummings, D-Md., again asked for the documents pertained to government air travel since the Jan. 20 inauguration. They also requested additional documentation dating back to Jan. 1 2016.
“This additional request is necessary to assess to frequency and nature of this issue to help determine whether new policies or regulations need to be enacted or perhaps to even change the nature of appropriations to your department,” they wrote.
House Oversight Committee threatens to subpoena Jeff Sessions over Trump administration’s use of air travel. pic.twitter.com/8HYI2Mr7ck
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 18, 2017
Politico largely led the charge in reporting Price’s expensive air travel habits, and in doing so often noted how Price’s predecessors in the Obama administration set a precedent of traveling commercial versus private, though there are at least a few reported instances in which they did not.
Gowdy and Cummings asked for the documents to be sent by Oct. 24, or in-person meetings in case the department can’t meet that deadline, in order to provide an update on the matter.
If the Justice Department fails to provide a “good faith commitment” or comply “in full” by Oct. 31, the letter says Gowdy will issue a subpoena for the materials.
