ETHICS/STEVE MNUNCHIN/TREASURY: “Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requested the use of a military aircraft to fly him and his wife to several European countries for their honeymoon following their June wedding, but he later withdrew the request, a Treasury spokesman said Wednesday [9-13-17].
Mr. Mnuchin asked to use the government jet to travel with his new wife, Scottish-born actress Louise Linton, to Scotland, France and Italy, ABC News first reported.
The request has prompted an inquiry from the Treasury’s inspector general, which is ‘looking at all requests for and use of government aircraft,’ a spokesman said Wednesday night.
The Treasury said Mr. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker and Hollywood financier, made the request for a military jet during his extended travel because he is a member of the National Security Council, is directly involved in national security issues and needed secure communications while he traveled.
‘It is imperative that he have access to secure communications, and it is our practice to consider a wide range of options to ensure he has these capabilities during his travel, including the possible use of military aircraft,’ a Treasury spokesman said, adding that the Treasury withdrew its request after another secure communications option was identified.
The request was withdrawn before the inquiry, a Treasury spokeswoman said.”
-Kate Davidson, “Mnuchin Asked to Use Military Jet for Honeymoon Stops in Europe,” The Wall Street Journal online, Sept. 14, 2017 12:21am