Key facts
- Six Democratic senators requested a government probe into Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
- The probe concerns a family road trip filmed for a web video series.
- Corporate donors, whose companies are regulated by Duffy's department, paid for the trip.
- The senators asked the DOT Office of Inspector General to review the matter.
- Concerns were raised about the use of funds and potential misconduct.
Six Democratic senators have requested a government probe into U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, citing concerns over a family road trip filmed for a web video series that was paid for by corporate donors whose companies his department regulates. Senators Patty Murray, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Ben Ray Lujan, Mazie Hirono, and Richard Blumenthal asked the DOT Office of Inspector General to review the matter, stating that Duffy's actions raise "serious questions about use of funds and potential misconduct."
Duffy's spokesperson, Nate Sizemore, dismissed the effort as a "witch hunt" and stated that ethics officials had cleared his participation. The senators noted that the trip was funded through a non-profit that received contributions from companies overseen by the Department of Transportation, including Boeing, Toyota, United Airlines, Enterprise, Shell, and Royal Caribbean Group. The trip, which occurred over an eight-month period with short getaways and a nine-day spring break, was filmed as a five-part series for YouTube. An ethics complaint was also filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.