HHS Secretary Price steps down over excessive travel spending allegations

30 September 2017

US Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price sent this letter to President Donald Trump as he resigned Friday in the midst of a scandal over his use of private planes, racking up bills estimated at nearly a million dollar in taxpayer-funded travel since taking office in February, according CNN.

This enraged US President Donald Trump and undercut his promise to bring accountability to Washington. Since taking on the presidency, Mr Trump has dismissed or seen quit his national security adviser, press secretary, communications director, chief strategist, acting attorney general and FBI director.

Dr Price and his aides have insisted that the trips he took by private charter jet had been approved through the usual legal and ethics offices at HHS, CNN noted. But the appearance of a millionaire Cabinet secretary flying routes easily navigated by far cheaper means proved an optics nightmare for an administration already accused of being out of touch with regular Americans, the news service commented.

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