Buttigieg avoided calls, public appearances on paternity leave, FOIA documents show
- January 12, 2023
Patrick Hauf, Fox News
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg avoided some phone calls and requests for public appearances while he was on paternity leave in 2021, according to internal documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Documents obtained by the group Protect the Public’s Trust show Buttigieg declined a request for a call with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in September 2021 to discuss an application for funds toward a bridge in his state.
“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,” a staffer emailed Grassley’s office, according to documents obtained in the FOIA request.
Buttigieg similarly declined to participate in an hour-long Zoom call for an event with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce that invited him to speak.