Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
National
Chris Sommerfeldt

Kellyanne Conway spent 'tens of thousands' on private flights that led to Tom Price's firing

Kellyanne Conway is in trouble _ again.

The controversy-stricken counselor to President Donald Trump took several private flights with ousted Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price last year, costing taxpayers "tens of thousands" of dollars, according to a Democratic congressman.

Conway accompanied Price on at least 10 private flights across the country, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, wrote in a letter Tuesday to the committee's Republican chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina.

Cummings said his staff reviewed Health and Human Services records confirming that Conway and a second unnamed White House official joined Price on the trips.

Trump fired Price in September over his habit of chartering luxurious private jets on taxpayers' expense.

Price ended up reimbursing the Treasury Department nearly $60,000 for his high-flying expenses, but Conway has managed to slip away, Cummings said.

"The White House has refused to provide any documents at all, including those relating to Ms. Conway's participation in these trips, whether she intends to repay the taxpayers for the cost of her travel, or whether the President is considering any disciplinary action against her in light of his decision to fire Secretary Price for participating in the same trips," Cummings wrote in his letter to Gowdy.

Citing the White House's repeated refusals to comply with document requests, Cummings urged Gowdy to subpoena the administration for all records relating to Conway's travels.

"If you do not issue a subpoena at this point, it will be obvious to the White House and the American people that the Committee has no intention of serving as a true check on the Executive Branch," Cummings added.

Multiple White House spokespeople did not return requests for comment from the New York Daily News. Gowdy did not immediately respond to Cummings' letter.

The letter comes days after the special counsel's office concluded that Conway broke executive branch laws by using her official government position to advocate "for and against" political candidates in last year's special Senate election in Alabama.

But despite Conway's repeated transgressions, she has appeared immune to Trump's ire.

The special counsel's letter recommended that Trump reprimand Conway for "impermissibly" mixing "official government business with political views." But it remains unclear if Trump acted on those recommendations, and Conway refused to confirm whether she was reprimanded during several TV interviews last week.

Last year, Conway was found in violation of ethics laws when she urged Trump supporters to purchase Ivanka Trump products. Conway is also infamous for defending ex-press secretary Sean Spicer after he gave false statements about Trump's inauguration crowd size by arguing that he gave "alternative facts."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.