Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's use of a government plane to view the solar eclipse on August 21st prompted a lawsuit by ethics watchdogs and a formal review by the Treasury Department's inspector general.
According to a report from ABC News, that was not the first time Mnuchin tried to use a government plane for a personal excursion.
Secretary Steven Mnuchin requested use of a government jet to take him and his wife on their honeymoon in Scotland, France and Italy earlier this summer, sparking an “inquiry” by the Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General, sources tell ABC News.
Officials familiar with the matter say the highly unusual ask for a U.S. Air Force jet, which according to an Air Force spokesman could cost roughly $25,000 per hour to operate, was put in writing by the secretary's office but eventually deemed unnecessary after further consideration of by Treasury Department officials.
Steve Mnuchin's personal net worth is somewhere north of $300 million so it's not clear why he would even think about asking taxpayers to pay for his honeymoon transportation. I mean, I suppose it's possible he really is just that entitled and corrupt in intent.
Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, says Mnuchin shouldn't need a "giant rulebook" to know that this is "common sense" and "slap your forehead stuff."
That leads us to another possible explanation: Steve Mnuchin is actually a moron.