Yahoo Finance Former HHS Secretary Tom Price Wasted More Than $300,000 on Travel
President Trump’s former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price improperly spent at least $341,000 on travel, according to an Inspector General report issued Friday.
The IG reviewed 21 trips made by Price and found that only one complied with federal travel regulations, with the former secretary frequently relying on costly charter flights for official travel. “Examples of noncompliance related to use of chartered aircraft included not completing a cost comparison to commercial airline service, not adhering to contract requirements, and not properly authorizing the use of chartered aircraft,” the report said. Low-cost alternatives on commercial airlines were available for many of Price’s trips, the IG said, and the secretary failed to book the cheapest option even when traveling via charter flight.
Price, who served as a Republican representative from Georgia before entering Trump’s cabinet and who resigned 10 months ago amid intense criticism of his use of private aircraft, spent $1.2 million on travel during his tenure. The former health secretary reimbursed the government for $59,390 in improper expenses before stepping down last fall.
