Page:Letter from Marco Rubio to Eric Soskin on the topic of Fox News reportings on Pete Buttigieg.pdf/1

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The Honorable Eric Soskin Inspector General U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, D.C. 20590

Dear Inspector General Soskin:

I write to request that you conduct a review of Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s adherence to federal regulations and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) policies and procedures for travel. This request follows a troubling report by Fox News that Secretary Buttigieg has used taxpayer-funded private jets to travel across the United States, and internationally, at least 18 different times since taking office. While the total cost remains unknown, the same report notes that, in recent years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has charged federal agencies approximately $5,000 per hour to use aircraft in its fleet. If these reports are confirmed, it would represent yet another troubling example of this administration's continued willingness to skirt basic ethics rules.

Pursuant to federal travel regulations, "[b]ecause the taxpayers should pay no more than necessary for your transportation, generally you may travel on Government aircraft only when a Government aircraft is the most cost-effective mode of travel." The definition of “Government aircraft" includes chartered aircraft. DOT’s own Travel Order and Manual further states that “DOT employees are required to exercise the same care in incurring expenses that a prudent person would exercise if traveling on personal business when making official travel arrangements, and therefore, should consider the least expensive class of travel that meets the needs of the agency’s mission." Given these requirements, it is unclear why Secretary Buttigieg would require such costly travel in these instances when more economical options were reportedly available.

Despite these regulations and policies, reports indicate that Secretary Buttigieg’s chartered flights have been used to travel around the United States and Canada. The Fox News report specifically highlighted trips to Florida, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada, and New Hampshire, which the article noted are frequently characterized as swing states. In response to the report, Secretary Buttigieg argued that Oklahoma is not a swing state, but such a distinction is irrelevant to a blatant abuse of taxpayer dollars.

I have long worked to ensure effective controls regarding leadership and staff travel and reducing the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse. Therefore, I ask that you conduct a review to determine whether Secretary Buttigieg’s travels were in compliance with all applicable regulations, policies, and procedures. I request that your review include a determination of the following: