(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A recent report revealed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to Europe in a U.S. military aircraft to attend the Fifth Invictus Games with his partner Chasten in the spring of 2022.
According to Fox News, the Buttigiegs went from a military base in the Netherlands to the Invicus games via “MilAir Flight,” and returned to the base two days later.
President Joe Biden appointed Buttigieg to lead a presidential delegation to the Invictus Games, an event founded by Prince Harry in 2014 as a multi-sport competition for wounded, injured or sick soldiers and veterans. Buttigieg joined the United States Navy Reserve in 2009 and did a tour in Afghanistan in 2014.
“It’s standard practice for military aircraft to be provided for White House organized Cabinet-level presidential delegations,” a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said.
A separate statement from the Department of Transportation emphasized the importance of the Games, but neglected to answer questions about Buttigieg’s transportation situation and the cost to American taxpayers for his husband’s travel.
“Secretary Buttigieg’s travel woes keep piling up with this newest revelation that he and his husband took a private jet for a European trip,” APT executive director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital. “Taxpayers, who just had their holiday plans completely upended because of Buttigieg’s travel mismanagement, should be furious.”
“Buttigieg manages to avoid all the problems he has created by flying private military jets around the world for non-military purposes, while everyday Americans bear the brunt of his detachment from their travel realities,” she added.
In 2017, former President Donald Trump accepted the resignation of then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price after it was found that his exorbitantly expensive transportation costs were being billed to the government. The former HHS secretary reimbursed the government for his wife’s travel costs, as she accompanied him on his trips.
It is not clear whether Buttigieg has reimbursed the government for Chasten’s travel costs.
