Private Jets
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HHS: All But One Of Tom Price's Plane Trips Reviewed Broke Federal Rules
July 13, 2018 3:22 PM ET
While he was secretary of health and human services, Tom Price repeatedly broke federal rules on using chartered and military planes for government travel, resulting in the waste of at least $341,000 in taxpayer dollars, the HHS inspector general said in a report Friday.
Price resigned from his post last September, amid intense criticism over his use of private and military aircraft.
Out of 21 plane trips reviewed using charter, military and commercial aircraft as well as the presidential fleet, all but one of them — including 12 chartered flights — violated federal regulations, according to the report. As a result, it said, HHS "improperly used Federal funds related to former Secretary Price's Government travel."
The report from the office of HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson says that the current HHS secretary, Alex Azar, should try to recoup the $341,000 that was improperly used.
Responding to the report, a spokesman for Price said in a statement that "the IG did not interview Dr. Price, nor attempt to get an interview."
"Media coverage inaccurately states the report takes issue with Dr. Price's actions. In fact, the report addresses overall functions of Department staff charged with administering travel," spokesman Nicholas Peters said.
The total cost of travel for Price and his staff on the trips in question was $1,185,045, according to the inspector general's report. Over the seven months Price led HHS, he took trips to international destinations such as Tokyo, Berlin, Geneva and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, and to domestic cities from Seattle to Augusta, Maine.
As NPR reported last fall, "Most of the trips were between cities where inexpensive commercial flights were also available."
In one three-day trip from Washington, D.C., that included stops in San Diego, Salt Lake City and Aspen, Colo., the HHS overpaid by $36,313 — even though Price's itinerary included a total of less than four hours of official engagements.
Price announced last fall that he would reimburse U.S. taxpayers for chartering private planes for official travel, as NPR reported.
"Today, I will write a personal check to the US Treasury for the expenses of my travel on private charter planes. The taxpayers won't pay a dime for my seat on those planes," he said in a statement on Sept. 28.
The next day, he resigned.
Funny how the Transportation Secretary's use of private jets was a big deal a while ago.
Now, not so much.
Meanwhile, at NPR:
Meanwhile, at CNN:
Meanwhile at NYT:
Meanwhile at WaPo:
As the saying goes, "I'll believe it's a climate crisis when the people who are telling me it's a climate crisis start acting like it's a climate crisis."
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HHS: All But One Of Tom Price's Plane Trips Reviewed Broke Federal Rules
July 13, 2018 3:22 PM ET
While he was secretary of health and human services, Tom Price repeatedly broke federal rules on using chartered and military planes for government travel, resulting in the waste of at least $341,000 in taxpayer dollars, the HHS inspector general said in a report Friday.
Price resigned from his post last September, amid intense criticism over his use of private and military aircraft.
Out of 21 plane trips reviewed using charter, military and commercial aircraft as well as the presidential fleet, all but one of them — including 12 chartered flights — violated federal regulations, according to the report. As a result, it said, HHS "improperly used Federal funds related to former Secretary Price's Government travel."
The report from the office of HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson says that the current HHS secretary, Alex Azar, should try to recoup the $341,000 that was improperly used.
Responding to the report, a spokesman for Price said in a statement that "the IG did not interview Dr. Price, nor attempt to get an interview."
"Media coverage inaccurately states the report takes issue with Dr. Price's actions. In fact, the report addresses overall functions of Department staff charged with administering travel," spokesman Nicholas Peters said.
The total cost of travel for Price and his staff on the trips in question was $1,185,045, according to the inspector general's report. Over the seven months Price led HHS, he took trips to international destinations such as Tokyo, Berlin, Geneva and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, and to domestic cities from Seattle to Augusta, Maine.
As NPR reported last fall, "Most of the trips were between cities where inexpensive commercial flights were also available."
In one three-day trip from Washington, D.C., that included stops in San Diego, Salt Lake City and Aspen, Colo., the HHS overpaid by $36,313 — even though Price's itinerary included a total of less than four hours of official engagements.
Price announced last fall that he would reimburse U.S. taxpayers for chartering private planes for official travel, as NPR reported.
"Today, I will write a personal check to the US Treasury for the expenses of my travel on private charter planes. The taxpayers won't pay a dime for my seat on those planes," he said in a statement on Sept. 28.
The next day, he resigned.
Funny how the Transportation Secretary's use of private jets was a big deal a while ago.
Now, not so much.
Meanwhile, at NPR:
Meanwhile, at CNN:
Meanwhile at NYT:
Meanwhile at WaPo:
As the saying goes, "I'll believe it's a climate crisis when the people who are telling me it's a climate crisis start acting like it's a climate crisis."
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@George-K said in Private Jets:
Funny how the Transportation Secretary's use of private jets was a big deal a while ago.
Price was HHS.
@jon-nyc said in Private Jets:
@George-K said in Private Jets:
Funny how the Transportation Secretary's use of private jets was a big deal a while ago.
Price was HHS.
My mistake. Sorry. That's completely different.
