Another case of misuse of government transportation

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao flew on Federal Aviation Administration planes rather than commercial flights on seven occasions between January and August 2017, newly released records show — including one flight to and around Europe that cost taxpayers an estimated $68,892 for her and five staffers.

All told, Chao's flights on the FAA planes cost an estimated $93,977.84, the records show.

She appears to have halted the practice just as one of her fellow Cabinet members, then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, was facing increasing scrutiny over his use of private and military flights. Price resigned in September 2017 after POLITICO raised questions about the flight expenses, which totaled about $1.2 million.

[...]

A DOT spokeswoman said all of Chao's travel was approved by the agency's ethics officer, and that she only used the FAA's planes in instances where it was cheaper or for extenuating circumstances, such as when security required its use. Chao's spokeswoman also noted that Chao "routinely flies commercial" and has taken 100 commercial flights since February 2017.

[...]

According to the cost-justification materials for the flight, Chao flew on the FAA's jet rather than a commercial plane for security reasons. Those included the need to "store weapons" on board the plane and to ensure DOT maintained "effective communications" with Chao throughout.

  Politico

Why did the Secretary of Transportation need to "store weapons" on board the plane? Other flight justifications include "security reasons." We could imagine that all her justifications were legitimate, except for one thing: "she appears to have halted the practice just as [Tom Price] was facing increasing scrutiny over his use of private and military flights." If she could justify the flights, why be afraid of scrutiny?

The newly released records do not indicate that anyone has raised red flags over Chao's use of the FAA aircraft.

And they wouldn't, would they? Because we know Elaine Chao by another name, don't we?

Mrs. Mitch McConnell.