(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Chasten Buttigieg, husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, reported thousands of dollars in gambling income, according to financial disclosure forms released last month.
In 2023, Chasten earned $6,755 from gambling, with winnings reported from MGM National Harbor ($4,152) and Grand Traverse Resort & Casino ($2,603).
These earnings look like pocket change compared to the $75,000 Chasten received in speaking fees, a Headline USA review of the disclosures found.
This income includes $22,500 from the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, $20,000 from the Brand Guild, $11,000 from the University of Michigan Ford School and $10,000 from the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance.
The earnings were initially reported by journalists Philip Melanchthon Wegmann and Chuck Ross via Twitter.
Wegmann jokingly commented, “No scandal here obviously. I just think it’s funny, and I want to know more: Are we talking slots, table games, ponies?” His tweet garnered over 750,00 views.
No scandal here obviously. I just think it’s funny, and I want to know more: Are we talking slots, table games, ponies?
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) August 8, 2024
On the other hand, Buttigieg reported earning between $5,001 and $15,000 from his 2019 memoir Shortest Way Home, released shortly after his unsuccessful 2020 Democratic nomination bid.
The Transportation Secretary also received an $8,242 advance from Hodder and Stoughton for the British edition of his second book, Trust.
This book’s income contrasts sharply with his 2020 earnings.
He received between $100,000 and $1 million in royalties for his first book, $54,000 in advances for the British edition and $311,500 as an advance for his second book, according to Bloomberg.
He also earned $150,000 for hosting the 2020 podcast The Deciding Decade. Notable guests included twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and anti-gun rights David Hogg.
Buttigieg is back in the headlines after Vice President Kamala Harris considered him as a potential running mate for the 2024 election. Harris ultimately settled for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
