Records Confirm Pete Buttigieg Was Absent During Supply-Chain Crisis

Documents made public by the nonprofit government watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) on Wednesday show Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was completely absent during the supply-chain crisis of 2021 contrary to claims otherwise.

According to the ethics group, Buttigieg’s calendar showed no meetings from the time Buttigieg left for paternity leave in mid-August to Oct. 6, 2021. During this time, there were no meetings. “breathtaking backup of container ships” Americans faced a rising tide of population on the West Coast. empty shelves At grocery stores

Ninety percent take paternity leaves, but 70 percent Most take no more than two weeks. Buttigieg was absent for eight weeks and responded to critics with a CNN interview that fall.

“Even though I have been on maternity leave, and I’m proud of it, obviously, given the nature of my job, when you take a job like mine, you understand and accept that you’re going to have to be available 24/7, depending on what’s going on, and you’re going to have to engage,” Buttigieg said.

However, calendar records that were made public to PPT under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show Buttigieg as a “no-show” During the supply-chain fiasco

“Secretary Buttigieg claims that, even while on paternity leave, he was on call in an emergency. But when it came to the supply chain crisis, one of the most pressing and consequential emergencies plaguing Americans at the time, he was nowhere to be found,” Michael Chamberlain, PPT Director, stated this in an a press release. “While we were promised honesty and competence from the Biden Administration, this demonstration of deception and deceit is not only disheartening but further erodes the public’s already all-time low trust in government.”

Last week, the group released records that were made public as follows: reported Washington Examiner reported that Buttigieg used paternity leave to avoid making public appearances or meeting with influential legislators on Capitol Hill. The nation was addressing supply chain issues while bipartisan infrastructure talks were ongoing for a trillion-dollar package that heavily relied on the Transportation Department. The agency was eventually awarded more than $500,000100 billion Public transit.

As negotiations continued in Washington, emails revealed by a FOIA request show Buttigieg’s aides cited paternity leave to avoid a meeting with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, to discuss a major Midwestern bridge project.

“Unfortunately, the Secretary is currently on leave due to the birth of his twins, and that may lead to a delay in possibly scheduling in the future,” An unnamed employee wrote the following.

On Friday, Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten, spouted off on Twitter about reports of the secretary’s absence, claiming critics were focused on old news.

“It’s been 17 months,” Chasten wrote In response to an article by Fox News. “You need new material. Go yell at an M&M.”

Buttigieg’s Transportation Department, however, blocked coverage of the agency chief’s absence by stonewalling compliance with FOIA requests on the issue. Chamberlain’s group filed its initial FOIA request in December of 2021 but was forced to sue for the records in

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