CREW requests Energy records on Perry travel

Update: CREW has received records from the Department of Energy. Review the records here.

CREW requests:

1. Copies of all records concerning authorization for and the costs of Energy Secretary Rick Perry’s use of non-commercial aircraft for any official travel since his confirmation on March 2, 2017.  This includes all such authorizations Secretary Perry or anyone acting on behalf of Secretary Perry sought, whether or not such authorization was granted
2.  Records sufficient to show the amount of money budgeted for Secretary Perry’s travel, whether on a yearly or fiscal year basis, for 2017 and 2018, and the amount budgeted for the Secretary’s travel for 2016.

Recent news reports have documented rampant use by cabinet secretaries of private and government aircraft at a cost to the taxpayers of millions of dollars.  Days ago, it was reported that Secretary Rick Perry also flew a charter plane to tour a coal mine at the request of the White House, at a cost of $11,000. In addition, Secretary Perry took at least three other flights on government-owned aircraft. The requested records would shed light on the extent to which Secretary Perry, like other cabinet heads, has traveled on non-commercial flights for official business, and the justifications he has offered for why he could not take less expensive commercial flights.