A new reality show may have forced its star, Transportation Department Secretary Sean Duffy, to flout federal gift and travel rules, according to a complaint lodged by an ethics watchdog group this week.
Transportation’s inspector general should probe the cost of Duffy’s forthcoming YouTube show, The Great American Road Trip, to U.S. taxpayers, who approved the ethics arrangements, whether any sponsorship deals violate those arrangements and whether the secretary improperly accepted any gifts, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said in a letter to the IG on Monday.
Duffy announced the production last week, saying he had filmed it with his family in bits and pieces over the course of seven months. A trailer showed Duffy, his wife and his nine children traveling to various parks, landmarks and historical sites around the country.
The show was not publicly funded and is produced entirely by The Great American Road Trip, Inc., but it has raised ethical concerns from observers who noted companies that Transportation regulates, such as Toyota, United Airlines, Enterprise, Royal Caribbean Group and Boeing, are major backers of that organization.
A presentation made public by Politico on Tuesday unveiled that The Great American Road Trip offered sponsorships to interested parties ranging from $100,000 for bronze-level packages to $1 million for platinum-level. While the show was produced by the outside group, the trailer was posted to Transportation’s official YouTube page and Duffy presented himself in his official capacity.
Federal officials are prohibited from accepting gifts from anyone who might have business before their agency, CREW noted, while travel regulations prohibit them from using government funds for any personal trips. CREW questioned whether Duffy received an ethics sign off for the show, he is personally benefiting from his official position, government funds were used to pay for other Transportation staff related to the show and other potential regulatory or statutory violations.
Ada Valaitis, a spokesperson for Transportation’s inspector general, confirmed the office received the complaint and is currently reviewing it.
In a post on X, Duffy dismissed any concerns about his show, saying it was coming from the “radical, miserable left” who found the production “too wholesome,” “too patriotic” and “too joyful.” He said no taxpayer dollars were spent on the show or his family, that he and his family received no salary or royalties, it was filmed in one-to-two day production windows and that career ethics and budget officials reviewed and approved of his participation and travel.
Nathaniel Sizemore, a Transportation spokesperson, added The Great American Road Trip, Inc. paid for things like gas, car rentals, lodging and activities. Because he was also conducting official business on his trips for the show, the department paid for the secretary’s flights.
“Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary is part of Secretary’s Duffy official duties and The Great American Road Trip is one aspect in support of those responsibilities,” Sizemore said. “On these brief stops, the secretary also often conducted additional visits like touring air traffic control towers and assessing port infrastructure.”
He added the department had no involvement in any sponsorship deals and such deals would have no impact on its regulatory decisions.
“The Great American Road Trip Inc is an independent organization,” Sizemore said. “How and who they accept donations from in furtherance of their mission to celebrate America’s 250th birthday is their decision.”
Donald Sherman, CREW’s president, said the department’s explanation was insufficient.
“The department has claimed that taxpayer funds were not used to pay for the trip, but Secretary Duffy has used government resources to promote the project,” Sherman said. “In addition, accepting travel from companies with business before DOT potentially implicates even more significant corruption and misconduct concerns.”
He added that “public trust requires” the inspector general to conduct an investigation, as it would “ensure integrity in the use of official resources and protection of public funds.”
