Tom Price: $1 Million in Private Jet Travel as HHS Secretary, Resigned After Public Disclosure
Price's private jet use was revealed by Politico, which reported in September 2017 that he had taken multiple private charter flights at costs far exceeding commercial alternatives — including a $25,000 flight from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia, a route served by Amtrak trains for under $80 and commercial flights for under $200. After the initial Politico report, additional flights were disclosed including trips to Europe, Africa, and Asia on military aircraft. Trump initially said he was 'not happy' about the reports while keeping Price in office, then accepted Price's resignation on September 29, 2017. Price offered to reimburse approximately $52,000 — the cost of his seat only on the flights — but not the full charter costs.
Record summary
Grade
Grade 1 of 5: Significant Democratic Concern
Actions that weaken democratic institutions, suppress political participation, or restrict fundamental freedoms without reaching the threshold of a rights violation attributable to a specific victim class. Scale and definitions
- Status
- Concluded
- Incident date
- Record updated
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Category
- Corruption & Self-Dealing
- Legal posture
- Reported
- War-crime classification
- Enabling conduct
- Verification
- Independently verified
- ICC relevance
- No
- Sources
- 3 cited
- Stable ID
trump-first-term-tom-price-private-jets-resignation- Victims
- Federal taxpayers whose funds were spent on luxury travel when commercial alternatives were available; the norm of public service in which cabinet officials use taxpayer resources for necessary official functions rather than personal comfort
- Alleged responsible parties
- Tom Price, HHS Secretary; took at least 24 private flights at approximately $1 million total cost when commercial alternatives were available; offered partial reimbursement of seat costs only; resigned after public disclosure— Department of Health and Human Services
Key points
- Price took at least 24 private charter and military aircraft flights between May and September 2017, accumulating approximately $1 million in total travel costs; the most scrutinized individual flight was a $25,000 charter from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia — a route served by Amtrak for under $80 and by commercial air for under $200; the flight cost roughly 300 times the commercial alternative
- After Politico's initial report on domestic charter flights, additional reporting revealed Price had also used military aircraft for international travel including trips to Africa, Europe, and Asia; military aircraft are significantly more expensive to operate than commercial alternatives; using them for cabinet travel when commercial options exist raises the total cost substantially
- Price offered to reimburse approximately $52,000 — the cost of his own seat on the charter flights — but not the full charter cost; critics noted that the seat cost is not the relevant measure when the government chartered an entire aircraft; reimbursing only the seat cost was analogous to flying a private jet and paying for a commercial ticket price
- Trump expressed displeasure with Price's travel publicly, saying he was 'not happy' about the reports, before accepting Price's resignation on September 29, 2017; Trump's public distancing came after Politico's reporting had generated sustained negative attention; the resignation came 259 days into Price's tenure
- Price's resignation occurred as HHS was in the midst of the healthcare debate — Price had been a central figure in the administration's attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act; his departure disrupted HHS leadership at a politically sensitive moment; acting HHS Secretary Donna Shalala assumed duties while a permanent replacement was sought
- Price's private jet use came during a period when the administration was proposing steep cuts to Medicaid and other programs serving low-income Americans; the contrast between the proposed cuts to programs for the poor and the private jet expenses of the HHS Secretary was widely noted by critics
Overview
Price spent $1 million in taxpayer funds on private jets in five months. One flight from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia cost $25,000 — the same trip costs $80 on Amtrak. He offered to pay back $52,000 — his seat cost — and kept the rest. He resigned when public attention made his position untenable.
The Flights
The most emblematic was the Philadelphia flight. A $25,000 charter jet. Amtrak serves the same route in under two hours for under $80. Commercial flights are under $200. Price chose the charter. He did this at least 24 times in five months, including international trips on military aircraft.
The business justification for private charters over commercial alternatives is typically: classified information that can't be discussed on commercial flights, time constraints that make commercial scheduling impossible, or security threats that make commercial travel dangerous. Price offered no such justification that was publicly documented.
The Reimbursement
When the flights became public, Price offered to pay back approximately $52,000. This was the cost of his seat on each flight — as though he had been a passenger on a commercial airline. He did not offer to reimburse the full charter cost, which was the actual taxpayer expenditure.
The distinction matters: when the government charters an entire aircraft, the government pays the full charter rate. Reimbursing only the equivalent seat cost leaves the government to absorb the substantial premium of private versus commercial travel. Price's framing of $52,000 as a meaningful reimbursement was widely criticized.
The Contrast
Price was HHS Secretary during the administration's push to cut Medicaid, repeal the ACA, and reduce federal health spending. He was the government's most prominent advocate for reducing healthcare expenditures. He was simultaneously spending $1 million of government funds on private jets.
The contrast was not lost on the members of Congress who were being asked to support the healthcare cuts, or on the constituents whose healthcare was at stake in those negotiations.
Update log
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Based on September 2017 resignation reporting.
Sequence of events
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Price begins private charter travel as HHS Secretary
Price takes his first private charter flights as HHS Secretary. He will take at least 24 such flights between May and September 2017, accumulating approximately $1 million in travel costs.
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Politico reports first domestic charter flights — D.C. to Philadelphia for $25,000
Politico reports that Price has been chartering private jets for domestic travel, including a $25,000 flight from Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia. The route is served by Amtrak for under $80 and commercial flights for under $200. Additional flights are subsequently disclosed.
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Military aircraft flights disclosed — international travel revealed
Additional reporting reveals Price also used military aircraft for international travel to Africa, Europe, and Asia. The total cost of his travel reaches approximately $1 million. Price offers to reimburse only his seat costs — approximately $52,000 — not the full charter and military aircraft costs.
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Price resigns — Trump accepts after initial 'not happy' response
Price submits his resignation and Trump accepts it on September 29, 2017. Price had served 259 days as HHS Secretary. He was the first cabinet member to resign from the Trump administration due to ethics controversies.
Sources
- Tom Price's Private Jet Scandal: All You Need to Know — Politico
- Tom Price Resigns After Controversy Over Use of Private Jets — The New York Times
- Tom Price resigns as HHS secretary amid controversy over use of private planes — The Washington Post