The Interior Department’s inspector general said Monday that it has started an investigation into Secretary Ryan Zinke’s use of military and chartered flights.
“Late last week, the [Office of the Inspector General] opened an investigation into the secretary’s travel,” Nancy DiPaolo, spokeswoman for the office, said in an email to the Washington Examiner.
Politico reported last week that Zinke spent $12,000 for travel that included speaking to a professional sports team owned by a former campaign contributor.
On Friday, the Campaign for Accountability watchdog group filed one of the first petitions for the inspector general to investigate Zinke for violations of conflict of interest laws and the Hatch Act that prohibits Cabinet-level officials from engaging in political lobbying activities.
Zinke is one of several Trump Cabinet officials to be caught up in the scandal over misuse of public funds for the use of chartered and military flights. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price on Friday was forced to resign as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for taking dozens of chartered flights costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Zinke on Friday called the issue “a little B.S.” in a speech before Price resigned.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Sunday he was justified in using a military flight to travel to Fort Knox, Ky., during the August solar eclipse.
“I never said it was a mistake,” Mnuchin told NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd. “It was approved by the White House and there were reasons why we needed to use that plane that were completely justifiable and we look forward to the [inspector general’s] report.”
The Treasury Department’s inspector general is looking into Mnuchin’s flights.
The “only reasons” for using private planes include “national security or if we couldn’t get somewhere,” he said.
Mnuchin did not comment on Price’s resignation. Mnuchin said the American people deserve to know how their money is being spent and that it is being spent responsibly.
The White House Friday evening cracked down on Cabinet officials’ travel, saying that chief of staff John Kelly must approve all flights on “government-owned, rented, leased or chartered aircraft.”
