Posted on 09/29/2017 1:15:37 AM PDT by Pinkbell
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his aides have taken several flights on private or military aircraft, including a $12,000 charter plane to take him to events in his hometown in Montana and private flights between two Caribbean islands, according to documents and a department spokeswoman.
Zinke is at least the fourth senior member of the Trump administration to have used non-commercial planes at taxpayer expense, along with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and HHS Secretary Tom Price. President Donald Trump has fumed at Price's pricey travel, and Democrats say the revelations demonstrate a cavalier attitude by Cabinet members toward excessive spending.
Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift said Zinke's charter or military plane trips were booked only after officials were unable to find commercial flights that would accommodate Zinke's schedule, and that all were "pre-cleared by career officials in the ethics office." Swift said she had not spoken to Zinke about whether he would reimburse the government for the cost of the flights, as Price plans to do for some of the $400,000 tab he racked up on charter flights.
On June 26, a Beechcraft King Air 200 carried Zinke and several staffers from Las Vegas to Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Mont., about a 20-minute drive from Zinke’s home in Whitefish, according to his official schedule. The flight cost $12,375, Swift said.
Zinke left after speaking at an event for the city's new professional hockey team, the "Vegas Golden Knights Development Camp Dinner," according to his schedule. Earlier in the day, he had been in Pahrump, Nev., for an announcement related to public lands.
Zinke's flight left Las Vegas at 8:30 p.m. PST and landed around 1:30 a.m. MST in Kalispell. The secretary stayed overnight at his residence, Interior documents show.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
The article goes on to detail the flights. Some sound iffy while others seem like it was necessary.
Unless it's absolutely necessary, they can't be using charters. The Price incident in particular looked terrible, and I know Trump is not happy about it because he ran on a platform of draining the swamp. That says that politicians are beholden to donors and special interests and put them ahead of the people. It also says that big government takes advantage of taxpayer money, and the elites often look down on the little people. Therefore, it doesn't look good to have taxpayers spending money on these private flights.
The media and left will have a field day with this. Even if the flights are warranted, they will put up clickbait headlines similar to this, people won't read, and will automatically assume it wasn't necessary when perhaps it was. It's very important in the future for the Cabinet to only charter a plane when absolutely necessary unless they are going to pay for it.
Zinke has failed to help the Bundy’s.
Carol Bundy says Zinke can drop the complaint with the Justice Department that has led to the criminal case over Bunkerville in April 2014.
When Zinke made a trip to the Bundy Ranch area he did not meet with the Bundy Family and when a family member approached a place Zinke was holding a meeting at to deliver a letter, she was turned away.
Now, all these people travel the way the are on private jets, how about rest of the story. Saw someone complaining about Education secretary and turns out she is paying for her own. Is something like that happening here as well?
Oh just stop
Kind of reminds me of Speaker Pelosi’s weekly flights home on military transport aircraft.
Judicial Watch Uncovers New Documents Detailing Pelosi’s Use of Air Force Aircraft .
We elected Trump, who expressed his admiration for Cliven Bundy in 2014, to change things.
Republicans like Mr. Zinke aren’t interested in righting the wrongs.
Many of the Bundy’s enemies complain about not paying grazing fees.
Cliven Bundy thinks they go to Nevada, not Washington DC and he has sent his checks to the Clark County, NV government instead of the federal one........
Are these folks being encouraged (set up) to use this service because prior occupant used service?
Is this serial govt plAne abuser Nazi Pelousy complaining?
The Miami media is pretending like this is a big deal.
Same media that basically ignored Debbie Blabbermouth’s corrupt handling of Hitlery’s nomination, ignored Nasty Pelozi’s abuse of military flights for her family, and ignored the SOARING premium costs under Hussein’s Death Panels edicts.
But Tom Price’s flights? Big coverage.
Rip van Sessions is no friend of a sagebrush rebellion either.
I would like all government officials to apply the same standards of stewardship to the taxpayers’ money as I do to my own money or my church’s. I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance more than a few will, regardless of party or administrative affiliation.
Consequently, *shrug*.
Axe grinding...gotta love it. Don’t recall these hard hitting expose’s when Zerohiseff’s minions were abusing everything from flights to the number of pencils they used.
Politico is not a source for anything except bias and hate.
Remember when Loretta Lynch met with Bill Clinton on the tarmac in the back of a commercial airliner...oops, never mind.
When I hear this about the Cabinet members, I recall how Ivanka and her family weren’t “too good” to be flying in coach on a commercial airline, back during the campaign when the homosexual guys were harassing them. Sounds like our Cabinet is a new class of royalty — or think they are.
I would suggest people who are soooooo interested in the government air travel look back at the odumbo administration flights. Odumbo take one plane to “X” city, 1 hour later the moooooooooch, take another place to the same city “X” and followed by another plane carrying their damn dog to city “X”. Then there is Pelosi and the “Booze Run Special Washing to San Fran.......All onour dime, including the booze. Tell me again what is wrong? Time to tell those people they are NOT GODS.
I would suggest people who are soooooo interested in the government air travel look back at the odumbo administration flights. Odumbo takes one plane to “X” city, 1 hour later the moooooooooch, takes another place to the same city “X” and followed by another plane carrying their damn dog to city “X”. Then there is Pelosi and the “Booze Run Special” on a 747, Washington to San Fran.......All on our dime, INCLUDING THE BOOZE. Tell me again nothing is wrong? Time to address some major cost savings issues. They are NOT GODS.
Remarkable!
The first time in US history that a politician has traveled on charter/military aircraft.
Glad the media is on top of this.
Stay tuned.
The Dems saved money by flying on planes supplied by their donors , special interests or military - and nary a word. They are all in someone’s pocket.
No kidding about the Obamas. Doubtful that any MSM critters will bring their misuse of flights in the context of the current administration’s issues.
And, by Trump’s cabinet members doing what they’re doing, we won’t have the moral high ground. They know better, and probably are aware they are NOT GODS. Time to start acting like civil servants of high character.
Your quote: “Las Vegas is one of the main connecting airports for commercial flights to Glacier International. Commercial flights between the two cities are available for several hundred dollars a ticket, according to travel planning websites.”
I have to point out that it is expensive to fly into Montana - we just attended a conference in Kalispell and all of the Doctors that flew in (had their tickets for months) paid more than; ‘several hundred dollars.’
Then there is is issue with availability - not too many seats available at last minute.
Lastly, the ENTIRE AREA HAS BEEN IN FLAMES! Zinke, as Interior Director, should SEE this destruction from above.
I’m not being critical of you, Pinkbell, just using your post to point this out.
BTY, we live in Bozeman and are Zinke supporters.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.