Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price traveled by private jet for trips where he combined official business travel with visits to colleagues and family members, Politico reported late Tuesday.
Politico reported that Price traveled to St. Simons Island in Georgia, where he and his wife own land, in a government-funded private plane and touched down more than a day before he was scheduled to speak at a medical conference.
Price also traveled in June via chartered jet to Nashville, where he “spoke to a local health summit organized by a longtime friend” and had lunch with his son, Politico reported, citing an unnamed HHS official.
A department official said both trips were paid for by HHS and that Price took both on official government business.
The HHS inspector general announced on Friday that it was requesting documents related to Price’s travel, after Politico reported that Price had used private planes for travel at least 24 times since May, racking up a travel cost of more than $300,000.
