Following former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price's resignation for abusing taxpayer funds by using private charter planes to travel for official business, the House Oversight Committee's top Democrat has requested all information regarding the private flights senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway took with Price.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., penned a letter asking for information about all flights Conway took since joining President Donald Trump's administration. Conway took numerous trips with Price on private flights "that were related to the administration's efforts to fight the opioid epidemic," Politico reported.
“Despite the fact that you joined Secretary Price on several of these flights, you have not made any similar public statements indicating whether your own actions were appropriate, whether you will continue to take such flights at taxpayer expense in the future, or whether you plan to personally repay the taxpayers for the cost of your seats on these flights,” Cummings wrote to Conway.
Prior to resigning Price pledged to write a check to cover his portion of the travel expenses, which Cummings has also requested proof of in a separate letter to the acting HHS Secretary Don Wright, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — who has also had his fair share of taxpayer scandals — Politico reported. Price said the check would be for around $52,000, even though total costs were at least $1 million since May "on private charters domestically and trips on military aircraft overseas."
Proof of Price's payment is due to the committee by Friday, according to Politico, and information on Conway's private flights are due by Oct. 18. Democrats on the panel began a bipartisan investigation into the taxpayer abuse, however, committee chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., did not sign on to the new letters, Politico reported.
A White House official told ABC News in response to questions about Conway's travel: "Agencies are responsible for arranging appropriate transportation for their own events. Members of the President’s Cabinet occasionally invite relevant White House staff for official travel for events promoting the President’s agenda. When White House staff are invited, their travel plans are planned and secured by the inviting agency."
There are numerous officials in Trump's administration that have been under fire for questionable travel expenses that also include; EPA chief Scott Pruitt, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Veterans Affairs secretary David Shulkin.
Has that swamp been drained yet?
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