Pete Buttigieg usually flies on taxpayer-funded personal jets, flight information present

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, an advocate of elevated authorities motion to curb carbon emissions, has taken not less than 18 flights utilizing taxpayer-funded personal jets since taking workplace, Fox Information Digital has realized.

Buttigieg has traveled throughout the nation — visiting Florida, Ohio and New Hampshire, amongst different states — and overseas utilizing a non-public jet fleet managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in keeping with flight monitoring information reviewed by Fox Information Digital. The flight information align with Buttigieg’s schedule of exterior and public engagements obtained by authorities watchdog group Individuals for Public Belief (APT).

Buttigieg’s predecessor, Elaine Chao, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, confronted criticism for utilizing the identical jets on seven events in 2017, costing taxpayers practically $94,000, Politico reported on the time. And Trump-appointed Well being and Human Companies Secretary Tom Worth was compelled to resign after reportedly taking 26 personal jet flights that very same 12 months, costing taxpayers about $1.2 million.

Bipartisan leaders on the Home Oversight and Reform Committee had opened an investigation into a number of senior Trump administration officers’ use of government-owned and personal plane for journey days earlier than Worth submitted his letter of resignation.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks on the North American Worldwide Auto Present in Detroit on Sept. 14.
(AP Picture/Paul Sancya/File)

“On a regular basis Individuals face flight [cancellations] and lengthy wait instances as a result of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has fully mismanaged air journey,” APT government director Caitlin Sutherland instructed Fox Information Digital. “But, he will get to keep away from all that by taking taxpayer-funded personal jets to locations with available industrial airline choices.”

“And for somebody so holier-than-thou on decreasing emissions, Buttigieg positive doesn’t appear to thoughts the air pollution brought on by his literal jet-setting,” she continued. “That is hypocrisy at its best, and these troubling bills to taxpayers should come beneath fast scrutiny.”

Whereas the precise taxpayer value of Buttigieg’s flights is unclear, the FAA has charged federal businesses roughly $5,000 per hour to make use of its fleet, the Washington Put up reported amid the congressional investigation into Trump officers’ journey in 2017.

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In response to the flight information, Buttigieg used two taxpayer-funded Cessna 560XL personal jets for journeys within the 22 months since President Joe Biden chosen him to guide the Division of Transportation (DOT). The FAA additionally operates a Gulfstream IV jet.

In a single occasion of his use of government-managed personal jets, Buttigieg traveled roundtrip from Washington, D.C., to Las Vegas to advertise public works initiatives in Nevada in August 2021.

President Biden, left, shakes palms with Buttigieg throughout an occasion on the White Home on June 25, 2021.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs/File)

In one other instance, Buttigieg used a non-public jet to fly to a number of states in August as part of a tour highlighting grants approved beneath the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act. He jetted to Florida, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Ohio, Nevada and New Hampshire throughout the journey titled “Constructing a Higher America Tour.”

The states Buttigieg visited have largely been thought-about swing states in latest federal elections. When requested about his resolution to journey to these specific states, he famous that Oklahoma is not a swing state and mentioned “there was an excellent story” to inform concerning the infrastructure grant he was selling there, Politico reported.

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“We’re going to locations that display the vary of issues you are able to do with good transportation {dollars},” he mentioned.

And, in late September, Buttigieg used an FAA personal jet for a roundtrip journey to Montreal. Through the go to, he attended an Worldwide Civil Aviation Group convention.

Buttigieg additionally attended a ceremony throughout the journey hosted by a big Canadian homosexual rights group the place he acquired a prestigious award for his “contributions to the development of LGBTQ rights.”

Worth was partially pressured to resign for utilizing the federal government personal jets for journeys that blended each private {and professional} use.

Former Well being and Human Companies Secretary Tom Worth was compelled to resign in 2017 for utilizing personal jets on journeys that blended private and personal journey.
(AP Picture/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

“Secretary Buttigieg principally travels by industrial airline, and has directed that journey and logistical choices be grounded in environment friendly and accountable use of taxpayer {dollars},” a DOT spokesperson instructed Fox Information Digital. “On condition that industrial air journey is often the most cost effective approach for the Secretary and his workers to journey, 108 of the 126 flights for DOT journeys he has taken have been on industrial airways.”

“Nevertheless, there are some instances the place it’s extra environment friendly and/or inexpensive for the Secretary and accompanying personnel to fly on a 9-seater FAA aircraft fairly than industrial flights,” the spokesperson continued. “Use of the FAA aircraft in restricted, particular instances has helped to maximise effectivity and save 1000’s of taxpayer {dollars}.”

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The spokesperson did not share details about how a lot cash the company has saved taxpayers, however industrial flights from Washington, D.C.-area airports to Montreal, Las Vegas, Minneapolis and different cities Buttigieg has visited by way of personal jet can be found day by day.

Federal legislation requires that official journey be executed utilizing essentially the most expeditious technique of transportation “practicable” and “commensurate with the character and function” of mentioned official’s duties. Walter Shaub, the previous head of the U.S. Workplace of Authorities Ethics, instructed Politico in 2017 that federal laws additionally state that “taxpayers ought to pay not more than essential” for official transportation.

In the meantime, in an interview with Condé Nast Traveler final month, Buttigieg defined how he likes to reach to airports an hour early and has “obtained the pre-check and clear stuff all down” to keep away from delays. He did not point out his use of personal jet journey however mentioned his journey is a “bit extra sophisticated with the safety preparations.”

Over the summer season, lawmakers, together with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., criticized the DOT for not doing extra to fight the improve in industrial flight delays. Airways have reported an uptick in delays over the course of the final 12 months.

Buttigieg was capable of take taxpayer-funded personal jets whereas industrial airways reported file delays.
(USA TODAY NETWORK)

As well as, the transportation secretary has been a vocal proponent of local weather motion and has repeatedly warned of the risks posed by human-caused international warming. He has significantly advocated for insurance policies that may transition the U.S. financial system to inexperienced vitality and cut back fossil gas emissions.

Personal jet journey, although, is by far essentially the most carbon intensive mode of transportation. Personal jets are 10 instances extra carbon intensive than industrial planes and 50 instances extra carbon intensive than trains, in keeping with a 2021 report from the group Transport & Atmosphere.

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“The local weather disaster is right here right this moment, threatening Individuals’ lives and livelihoods, our houses and companies, and even the best way we journey and function our federal businesses,” Buttigieg mentioned final 12 months after his company revealed its local weather adaptation and resilience plan. “The excellent news is that we all know what to do about it, and America is totally able to rising to the event.”

“Whereas we work to cut back greenhouse gasoline emissions and forestall the worst outcomes of local weather change, the U.S. Division of Transportation’s plan will assist be certain that our transportation infrastructure, insurance policies and packages shall be extra resilient to the local weather impacts already going through our nation,” he added.

Buttigieg attended a 2021 United Nations local weather summit within the U.Ok. the place he engaged in local weather negotiations with different world leaders and pushed decarbonization insurance policies. He remarked throughout the occasion that aviation is a “important contributor to local weather change.”