US Treasury Secretary asks to borrow government plane for honeymoon

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin requested the use of a government plane, which costs $25,000 an hour to operate, for his honeymoon in Europe last month, his office confirmed.

Secretary Steven Mnuchin (second from right) and Ms. Louise Linton (in white) were married in June. Photo: Getty

BBCThe request, which has prompted an investigation by the Treasury Department's inspector general, comes as he is already facing an investigation into his use of another military aircraft, the report said.

A spokesman for Mr Mnuchin said the government plane was necessary to ensure he could maintain a secure line of communication with the White House.

But the proposal was later withdrawn, the spokesman said in a statement.

“It is imperative that he has access to secure communications and we are considering a range of options to ensure he has these capabilities while traveling, including the use of military aircraft,” a spokesman for Mr. Mnuchin said on September 14.

US government aircraft are typically reserved for the secretaries of state or defense, both of whom deal directly with national security issues.

But Mr Mnuchin’s office defended the request, saying the $25,000-an-hour aircraft was necessary because of his position on the White House National Security Council. The office said the aircraft was determined to be “unnecessary” after an alternative method of communication was developed.

President Donald Trump later said he had “total confidence” in the Treasury Secretary. “I’ve known him a long time, he’s a straight-talking guy,” Trump said.

Mr Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, has visited Scotland, France and Italy since marrying actress Louise Linton in June.

The Treasury Department’s inspector general is also investigating Mr. Mnuchin’s use of a US Air Force plane to fly to Kentucky last month — a trip that coincided with a total solar eclipse in the region.

Mr Mnuchin has strongly denied that the trip, which included a visit to the world's largest US gold reserve at Fort Knox, was arranged so that he would be in the area of ​​the total solar eclipse.

His wife, Linton, made headlines during the visit when she posted a photo of herself and her husband stepping off a US government plane on social media, tagging the expensive fashion brands she was wearing in the photo.

After being criticised by a social media user, Ms Linton responded to the person. She eventually had to speak out about the online comments.

According to Dan Tri