Sec. Tom Price: I Spent $300,000 On Chartering Private Jets To Stay “Connected With Real American People”

The Washington Post reports:

HHS Secretary Price’s office this week has sought to justify his use of chartered jets, first reported Wednesday by Politico, saying that the secretary’s office has routinely evaluated the most effective way for him to travel and has turned to chartered flights when necessary for Price to manage one of the largest executive branch agencies while also staying grounded with voters.

“This is Secretary Price, getting outside of D.C., making sure he is connected with the real American people,” said Charmaine Yoest, his assistant secretary for public affairs. “Wasting four hours in an airport and having the secretary cancel his event is not a good use of taxpayer money.”

Revelations of Price’s luxury travel, however, have drawn swift criticism from Democratic members of Congress. Late Wednesday, the ranking Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees wrote to the inspector general of Price’s agency, saying the reported flights appear to violate federal rules and policies. They demanded an immediate investigation.