Cover-up: White House hides spending on private flights from Congress

The administration has squandered nearly two million dollars to pay for private flights for multiple secretaries, including Secs. Rick Perry, Elaine Chao, and Ryan Zinke.

One official, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, resigned his position after his wasteful travel was exposed by the media.

In a letter drafted by White House legislative aide Marc T. Short, who has become the administration’s go-to for obstructing investigations, the White House asserted that it was not responsible for much of the information and documents related to the growing “Billionaire Air” scandal.

Short simply asserted that “the Administration adheres” to existing policies regarding the use of tax dollars on Cabinet travel.

The dismissive document was in response to a letter authored by Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the chairman and ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. In a rare show of bipartisanship, the congressional committee sought information from the Trump team to determine if the law is being broken, and to ensure “responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

In addition to their stonewalling of this congressional non-response, the administration is also being sued for not turning over documents that have been requested from watchdog groups.

Cabinet officials – as well as notable figures like Kellyanne Conway – have taken their cues from Trump, who has a compulsion that has led him to insist luxury travel helps him in his job.

Now, taxpayers are being stuck with the bill, and a full-blown cover-up is underway. The White House clearly doesn’t want Americans to know what’s being done with their tax dollars, and how those funds are being exploited by Trump and his cronies.