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Saturday 14 July 2018

Agency watchdog slams ex-HHS chief Price on costly travel

By RICARDO ALONSO- get and health care issues.
ZALDIVAR But as secretary of HHS, he
Associated Press never produced a health
WASHINGTON (AP) — The care plan to “repeal and
government wasted at replace” the Affordable
least $341,000 on travel by Care Act.
ousted Health and Human Among other findings from
Services Secretary Tom the report: — Investigators
Price, including booking questioned Price’s asser-
charter flights without con- tion that his official sched-
sidering cheaper sched- ule prevented him from
uled airlines, an agency flying commercial. In one
watchdog said Friday. case a White House event
The HHS inspector general’s cited as justification was
long-awaited report chas- canceled, and Price’s of-
tised the department for fice chose to continue with
flouting federal travel rules, a charter flight at a cost
which require officials to of nearly $18,000. — Even
book trips in the most cost- among charter flight op-
efficient way for taxpayers. tions, Price’s office did not
The inspector general es- always book the lowest-
timated that the govern- cost trip. In one case the
ment spent nearly $1.2 mil- difference between quot-
lion on Price’s travel during ed options amounted to
his seven months in office. nearly $46,000.
That included more than — For six trips, Price either
$700,000 in military flights started or ended his travel
on two foreign and two do- In this June 15, 2017, file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price testifies on in his home state of Geor-
mestic trips, as well as more Capitol Hill in Washington. gia, his most frequent char-
than $480,000 for various Associated Press ter travel destination out-
domestic trips by private the (inspector general’s) the department has since travel and office remodel- side of his official duty sta-
chartered aircraft. report that the paperwork instituted new travel pro- ing by top officials became tion in Washington, D.C.
HHS “improperly used fed- and regulatory issues of de- cedures for all political ap- a running story as the Trump — HHS paid more than
eral funds related to Sec. partment staff were any- pointees, calling them “the administration took power $11,500 on commercial
Price’s government travel,” thing other than good faith most rigorous controls on in Washington on a presi- flights for a Price trip to Chi-
the report said. mistakes.” travel in the organization’s dential promise to “drain na, Vietnam and Japan.
Of 21 trips reviewed by the Peters would not comment history.” Such travel is now the swamp.” But Price ultimately flew on
inspector general’s investi- on any additional repay- reviewed by the ethics of- The latest Cabinet casu- military transport at a cost
gators, only one complied ments by Price. He said in- fice. alty was Environmental Pro- of more than $430,000.
with all federal travel re- vestigators did not attempt But Hargan also seemed to tection Agency head Scott HHS lost track of what it
quirements. The report said to interview Price. quibble, saying “the work Pruitt, who resigned this spent for the commercial
none of the charter flights In its formal response to the of an audit is to review month amid ethics investi- airline ticket until the in-
complied. report, HHS agreed with compliance with proce- gations. spector general’s investiga-
Price, who built a reputa- most of the inspector gen- dures, not make legal con- Price was forced out in the tors identified the expense.
tion as a budget hawk dur- eral’s recommendations clusions. As a matter of law, fall of 2017 after his travel The government ultimately
ing earlier congressional for tightening up official none of the travel at issue drew the ire of President got a refund for the com-
service, has apologized travel and requested detail was unauthorized.” Donald Trump, who was mercial ticket.
and repaid the govern- on the $341,000 that inves- The inspector general’s re- also upset over the GOP HHS said current Secretary
ment nearly $60,000. tigators said the govern- port raised questions about failure to repeal “Obam- Alex Azar flies commer-
The report said authorities ment should recoup. how Price’s travel was au- acare.” cial on official business,
should seek full recovery The inspector general said thorized. For example, in- A successful orthopedic with a few exceptions that
of the $341,000 deemed HHS should determine how vestigators found that on surgeon before winning a have involved requests
wasteful spending. best to recover the money. five of 12 charter flights, congressional seat from from the White House. Azar
Price spokesman Nicholas On Friday, HHS Deputy Sec- legal approval came only the Atlanta suburbs, Price pays for his personal travel
Peters said in a statement, retary Eric Hargan said in during or after the trip. rose to become one of the back home to Indiana on
“there is no indication in a separate statement that Extravagant spending on top GOP experts on bud- weekends.q

Report: TSA missed inspections of Cuba-U.S. carriers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Con- tion Security Administration ing. A TSA spokesman said The spokesman said TSA fol- tween the U.S. and Cuba
gressional investigators say only performed about half Friday that “external fac- lowed guidelines to follow increased after the Obama
TSA failed to perform many the required inspections on tors” hindered the agency’s up when inspections turned administration eased re-
inspections of carriers oper- five carriers that investiga- ability to perform inspec- up shortcomings, a point strictions on visiting the is-
ating flights from Cuba to tors studied. tions as often as expected on which the GAO agreed. land nation in 2016. The
the U.S. between 2012 and The GAO said that in many — generally every six to 12 Republicans on the House Trump administration tight-
2016. cases TSA couldn’t reliably months. The agency told Homeland Security Com- ened the rules last year to
The Government Account- track U.S.-bound charter GAO that the Cuban gov- mittee requested the GAO discourage tourist visits to
ability Office said in a new operations. TSA said it is ernment sometimes asked study. Cuba, but several U.S. air-
report that the Transporta- working to improve track- to reschedule inspections. Commercial flights be- lines still fly there.q