Obama Interior Secretaries Spent More Than Ryan Zinke on Chartered Flights

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has spent far fewer taxpayer dollars on chartered flights than his two predecessors in the Obama administration, public records show. The Daily Signal’s examination of travel records found that on average Zinke’s two predecessors spent more annually on such noncommercial flights, despite media reports critical of Zinke’s spending on travel. The cost of such chartered flights for Zinke totaled $72,849 in his first six months as interior secretary, the travel records show. The average annual cost of such flights for his two predecessors in the Obama administration, Ken Salazar and Sally Jewell, from fiscal years 2010 to 2016 was $155,515, according to records provided by the Interior Department to the House Natural Resources Committee. Salazar and Jewell spent just over $1 million on chartered flights over the seven years, the records show.Taxpayers were billed for more than $640,000 for Salazar’s chartered flights in fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012...MORE