Americans for Public Trust Obtained Buttigieg’s Official Calendar Unveiling Taxpayer-Funded Travel to ACLU Meeting
Through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Americans for Public Trust obtained Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg’s official calendar, revealing Buttigieg flew on a taxpayer-funded jet from Washington, D.C. to New York City and returned to D.C. hours later. This information offers new key details on our previous report that he took at least 18 flights on taxpayer-funded jets, despite calls to curb carbon emissions.
The brief trip included a 40-minute meeting with Deborah Archer, the President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a 20-minute meeting with Department of Transportation employees, and an hour-long radio show interview.
The Department of Transportation asserted that it was charged only $228 per flight for Buttigieg’s “seat” on the FAA jet. According to Energy Information Administration data from April, the plane would have burned an estimated $1,060 worth of fuel.
ANOTHER Double Standard? – Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao was criticized after it was revealed Chao used government-managed planes on seven occasions in 2017. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was forced to resign after it was reported Price had cost taxpayers more than $1 million using private jets.
“As the self-described ‘second biggest fan of rail in the administration’ only behind the President, it’s laughable Secretary Buttigieg flew private to New York City to meet with the head of a liberal dark money group instead of taking Amtrak. He clearly thinks his time is more valuable than the taxpayers, who are left not only dealing with the fallout of his travel mismanagement but are also left footing the bill for his taxpayer-funded jet. Despite admonishing the American public to reduce their carbon footprint, Buttigieg is once again prioritizing his convenience over the environment,” said Caitlin Sutherland, Executive Director of Americans for Public Trust.
