Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, estimated to be worth $300 million, requested use of a government jet to whisk him and his third wife, Louise Linton, away to Europe this summer for their honeymoon, several people told ABC News on Wednesday.
A Treasury Department spokesman told ABC News that Mnuchin requested the jet because he's a member of the National Security Council and was very concerned about having access to secure communications. After Mnuchin's office put the request in writing, someone realized this was unnecessary, people with knowledge of the situation said, but it still triggered an "inquiry" by the Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General. An Air Force spokesman told ABC News it could cost about $25,000 an hour to operate a U.S. Air Force jet.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The best books of 2024 to give this ChristmasThe Week Recommends From Percival Everett to Rachel Clarke these are the critics' favourite books from 2024
-
Parmigianino: The Vision of St Jerome – masterpiece given 'new lease of life'The Week Recommends 'Spectacularly inventive' painting is back on display at the National Gallery
-
5 unidentifiable cartoons about drones over New JerseyCartoons Artists take on national priorities, national security, and more
-
Putin says Russia isn't weakened by Syria setbackSpeed Read Russia had been one of the key backers of Syria's ousted Assad regime
-
Georgia DA Fani Willis removed from Trump caseSpeed Read Willis had been prosecuting the election interference case against the president-elect
-
Democrats blame 'President Musk' for looming shutdownSpeed Read The House of Representatives rejected a spending package that would've funding the government into 2025
-
Trump, Musk sink spending bill, teeing up shutdownSpeed Read House Republicans abandoned the bill at the behest of the two men
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdownSpeed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorismSpeed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
-
Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about BidensSpeed Read Alexander Smirnov claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma
-
South Korea impeaches president, eyes chargesSpeed Read Yoon Suk Yeol faces investigations on potential insurrection and abuse of power charges
