Steven Mnuchin's $811,000 government plane tab was legal, Treasury inspector general finds, but ...


On Thursday, the Treasury Department inspector general found that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's seven flights on military planes were all legally approved by the White House but suggested that the $811,798 cost to taxpayers was poorly justified by repeated use of an inadequate "single boilerplate statement" about "scheduling, logistics, and communications needs." "Just because something is legal doesn't make it right," wrote IG counsel Rich Delmar, who investigated the nine military fights Mnuchin has requested, including the withdrawn request for his European honeymoon and a trip to the Middle East later this month.
Mnuchin's travels on government aircraft include a round trip from Washington, D.C., to New York to meet with President Trump at Trump Tower ($15,112), the infamous trip to Kentucky with his wife during the solar eclipse ($26,900), a C-32 jet to Italy for the G-7 summit ($314,442), and a $43,726 flight to Miami with Mexico's finance minister that the Treasury Department's travel office pointedly noted at the time would cost $688 round-trip commercial. "Treasury secretaries generally take commercial flights except in extenuating circumstances because of the exorbitant costs of using military planes," The New York Times notes.
A Treasury Department spokeswoman thanked the inspector general's office for finding "no violation of law, regulation, or ethics requirements in connection with the department's requests." Four other Cabinet officials and former Health and Human Secretary Tom Price are still subject to inspector general inquiries about their travel. Price racked up at least $500,000 in taxpayer-funded charter flights before resigning last Friday, and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, and Veterans Affair Secretary David Shulkin — who reportedly mixed four days of taxpayer-funded sightseeing in Europe with his wife in July — collectively racked up tens of thousand of dollars in questionable flights.
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
Bombs or talks: What’s next in the US-Iran showdown?
Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published