Ernest Moniz, who was secretary of energy during the Barack Obama administration, took a government flight to Mexico City weeks before he left office that cost taxpayers $75,000, the Energy Department's inspector general reported.
A special report from the Department of Energy's inspector general looked into the use of government charter flights in both Obama and President Donald Trump’s administrations. The report showed nine trips by Obama and Trump officials between October 2015 and December 2017 totaling $178,000, a Washington Free Beacon analysis of the report said.
Moniz's trip happened Jan. 7, 2017, less than two weeks before Trump’s inauguration. The trip was for the signing of a "non-binding" document on electricity grids, the report said.
Another Moniz trip cost $3,550 for a flight from Seattle to Richland, Wash., the report said.
The inspector general's report found no wrongdoing in the Moniz trips.
“During our review, nothing came to our attention to indicate that non-career Federal employees within the Department had inappropriately taken trips on government aircraft,” the inspector general said in the report.
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry has taken five flights, none of which cost as much as Moniz’ single Mexico trip. In total, Perry’s government charter plane flights have cost $93,112, the report said.
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