Treasury Inspector General Conducting Second Review Of Mnuchin Travel

Treasury Secretary-designate Steve Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton, arrives for a church service at St. John’s Episcopal Church across from the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, on Donald Trump's... Treasury Secretary-designate Steve Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton, arrives for a church service at St. John’s Episcopal Church across from the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, on Donald Trump's inauguration day. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The inspector general for the Department of the Treasury is taking a second look at Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s travel records after the agency learned the department didn’t provide accurate information about Mnuchin’s trip to Trump Tower in New York in August, CNN Money reported Tuesday evening.

“The OIG has asked for follow-up information to assure that we have in fact received all relevant records,” Inspector General Rich Delmar told CNN.

The Treasury Department initially gave the IG documents that said Mnuchin had taken a military jet to a New Jersey airport with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and budget director Mick Mulvaney, but a Treasury spokesperson told CNN that Mnuchin had taken a commercial flight to New York on Aug. 15.

The inspector general’s office said it didn’t know that he had flown commercial that day until CNN Money contacted them. The trip reportedly cost taxpayers $15,000.

A Treasury spokesperson clarified that Mnuchin took a commercial flight to New York and a military jet back to Washington “as he needed to access secure communications.”

That information was a “surprise” to Delmar, according to CNN, and prompted the re-launch of the probe.

Mnuchin is one of several cabinet members being investigated for their use of charter travel for official business.

Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price resigned last month after it was revealed that his penchant for private and military flights cost taxpayers north of $1 million.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: