Ryan Zinke spent $6,250 in taxpayer dollars on a helicopter flight to ride horses with Mike Pence

Traffic could not keep Zinke away from his horseback riding appointment.
(Image credit: George Frey/Getty Images)

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke spent approximately $6,250 in taxpayer money in July to take a helicopter in order to be on time for a horseback ride with Vice President Mike Pence, travel logs obtained by Politico show.

The pricey flight is just one of several trips made by Zinke that has come under scrutiny. Zinke's travels first flagged attention after he chartered an oil executive's private plane, costing taxpayers more than $12,000. Interior records show that Zinke has also met with political donors or groups more than half a dozen times while on taxpayer-funded department trips, including one visit to the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is illegal to use government resources for partisan ventures.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.