Arizona congressman: Trump leading way in officials’ abuse of tax dollars

PHOENIX — An Arizona congressman said Friday that members of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet abusing taxpayer money by flying in private jets and taking other luxuries are following the president’s lead.

“At the end of the day, the reason that this is occurring — the reason all these secretaries and Cabinet members are abusing taxpayers funds — is because they see the president doing it,” Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego told CNN.

Gallego’s comments came in the hours following the resignation of Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price, whose use of private planes and other expenses has cost taxpayers more than $1 million since May.

“For one, Tom Price knows better,” Gallego said. “He was one of the biggest advocates of so-called fiscal conservatism. He railed against people using private jets.”

Price had offered public regrets and a partial repayment on Thursday, but that didn’t seem to calm the furor, particularly in the White House.

Gallego said Price and others know better. But they see Trump’s weekend trips to resorts he owns — trips that are stressing the Secret Service’s budget — as a sign that it’s acceptable to use taxpayer money for travel luxuries.

“The president has already gone, for 60 days, to his own golf course,” the congressman said. “He has … wasted a lot of taxpayer money and he has actually been charging the federal government for stays at his places. So why is a surprise that these Cabinet secretaries aren’t going to try to do the same and take these same types of luxuries?”

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