Scandal-plagued Trump Cabinet secretary spent over $139,000 on doors
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who has already been caught misusing taxpayer funds, spent over $139,000 on a door.
The Interior Department, led by Secretary Ryan Zinke, is spending nearly $139,000 to repair three sets of double doors in Zinke’s office.
By comparison, that is more than the median cost for a home in the state of Michigan.
The work order from contractor Conquest Solutions LLC for the six-figure expense was labeled as “Secretary’s Door.”
The expenditure is not an isolated incident for Zinke. He has been the subject of intense scrutiny for misusing taxpayer funds at the department.
At one point, he went on a helicopter ride and spent nearly $40,000 that had been earmarked to help people prepare for wildfires. According to the Associated Press, Zinke spent an estimated $53,000 on three helicopter trips in 2017, including one where he went on a horseback ride with Mike Pence.
There are also several instances of Zinke participating in partisan political activities while traveling on the public dime. In one of them, Zinke flew on a military plane at taxpayer expense to visit a steakhouse where a political fundraiser for Rep. Don Young (R-AK) was being held.
The scandal-plagued secretary even failed to disclose his financial holdings in a firearms company. He later met with the heads of that company in his capacity as Interior Secretary.
Other Trump cabinet officials like HUD secretary Ben Carson have also been caught spending lavishly using taxpayer money. Their actions echo those of Trump, who has regularly vacationed while taxes subsidize his activities, ever since he was sworn in.
The abuse is systemic and it starts at the top, running from Trump to his cabinet. They clearly view the government as a pathway to luxury and insist that taxpayers foot the bill for their benefit.
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