Price’s $51K check to HHS for private flights processed

A check Tom Price signed to reimburse the government for his travel on private planes before resigning as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary has been processed, according to an HHS official.

Price resigned last week after backlash over his travel, which reportedly cost taxpayers more than $1 million since May. Price indicated before his ouster that he would reimburse the government for his “seat” on the planes, for a total of $51,887.31, which he has paid.

Price said in a statement shortly before his exit that he would write a personal check to the U.S. Treasury Department to reimburse the government for his seat on the private charters he used while helming HHS.

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Politico had found that the former Republican congressman from Georgia had taken at least 24 privately chartered flights on government business since May.

Price came under investigation for the flights by the department’s inspector general and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, while President Trump said he was not pleased by the flights.

The White House issued travel guidance for Cabinet members in the wake of Price’s exit, which came amid scrutiny of travel on private and military planes by several other senior administration officials.

– Jessie Hellmann contributed