Look closely at the public money spent on the various questionable government programs in the U.S., and transactions in the thousands and millions of dollars come into the picture. USD 146 million to upgrade federal employees’ flight tickets to business class is jaw-dropping on its own; USD 96 thousand for iPads for kindergarten kids in Maine sets a whole new standard for wasteful spending. Any U.S. contributor would be deeply concerned by such unnecessary transactions — so here are a few documented instances of public funds misused by Trump administration appointees.
The roster — six officials, one tab
- Scott Pruitt, EPA — $4,448,247 spent in 2017, from security to tactical polos
- Ryan Zinke, Interior — at least 8 federal investigations into travel and conflicts
- Tom Price, HHS — roughly $333,013 in charter flights wasted for personal use
- Ben Carson, HUD — a $31,561 dinner set for an office redecoration
- Steven Mnuchin, Treasury — about $1,000,000 in military aircraft trips
- Brock Long, FEMA — government vehicles used for private commutes
Scott Pruitt — taxpayer-funded travel and questionable spending
$4,448,247 in 2017Scott Pruitt, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, resigned on the 5th of July after allegations over his spending decisions, his contributor-funded travel, and even his use of aides for personal errands. When the books were analyzed, it emerged that USD 4,448,247 was spent by him in 2017 alone.
The itemization reads like satire: USD 3,500,000 for a 24×7 security service, USD 164,200 for his and his staff’s trip to Italy, USD 43,000 to install a soundproof telephone booth, USD 3,000 for a hidden audio device in his office, USD 2,750 for tactical pants — and USD 1,560 for tactical polos for the staff.
Ryan Zinke — extravagant travel, questionable political activity
$12,375 for one charter flightInterior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigned from his post in January while facing at least eight federal investigations into his travel, his conflicts of interest, and his political activities. The file ranges from private jets for routine travel to USD 12,375 spent on a charter flight home after delivering a speech to a campaign contributor’s hockey team.
Zinke tried to justify every item of the spending, insisting that after 30 years of public service he would defend himself and his family against what he called false allegations.
Tom Price — wasteful charter flights as HHS Secretary
$333,013 wasted on chartersThe former Health and Human Services Secretary, Tom Price, came into the limelight for wasteful spending on chartered flights. According to the investigation, he spent nearly USD 456,785 on chartered aircraft. Subtract his repayment of USD 51,887 and the average commercial cost of USD 71,885, and USD 333,013 was simply wasted on his personal comfort.
He ran up those charter bills in only seven months in office — and he had divested USD 631,000 to join the Trump administration before his alleged insider trading began.
Ben Carson — exceeding the budget for office decoration
$31,561 dinner setHousing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson earned rave media coverage for cancelling an order for a dinner set that cost USD 31,561, placed as part of the redecoration of his Washington office. The order itself drew criticism because the expense ran roughly USD 5,000 above the legal limit for office redecoration.
Steven Mnuchin — costly trips on military aircraft
≈ $1,000,000 in flightsTreasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was found to have used military aircraft on eight of his trips in 2017, costing around one million U.S. dollars of the contributor’s money. The department’s inspector general stopped short of calling it a violation of the law, and Mnuchin pointed to a disconnection between the standard of proof and the actual evidence — but the amount is enormous for any taxpayer.
The route map: USD 301,000 for a Germany trip, USD 314,000 for Italy, USD 45,000 for Miami, USD 95,000 for Las Vegas and West Virginia, and USD 184,000 for trips to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel and Bahrain.
Brock Long — using government vehicles for private jobs
Under investigationBrock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is under investigation by Homeland Security over his use of government vehicles to travel from the capital to his hometown of Hickory, North Carolina. With regular trips to Hickory — his staff lodged in local hotels along the way — it remains to be seen whether he can justify the practice and come out of the investigation with flying colors.
It is only concerning to see the contributor’s money embezzled or misused at such an extent.
Ever since the Trump administration spread its branches and President Donald Trump set up his legacy, the controversies and allegations have never left him — nor his family engaged with his empire, his appointees, or the associates and advisers around them. For the citizen footing the bill, the pattern is the story: the money keeps moving, and the receipts keep piling up.