U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations
05/20/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/21/2026 12:11
After Duffy Refuses to Answer Basic Ethics Questions in Angry Outburst at Senate Hearing—Senator Murray Calls for Inspector General to Investigate Duffy’s Corporate-Sponsored[...]
ICYMI : Senator Murray Grills Secretary Duffy on Corporate-Paid Reality TV Road Trip as Americans Pay Sky-High Gas Prices
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on the Department of Transportation Inspector General to open an official investigation into Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's involvement on his "Great American Road Trip" documentary which was paid for by the same corporations he is tasked with regulating. Senator Murray's call to investigate comes after Secretary Duffy on Tuesday refused to answer basic questions about the arrangement, and following an official compliant initiated by CREW.
"Instead of answering some very basic questions about what are, by any objective measure, serious ethics concerns, the Secretary ranted for several minutes. I have never seen such a childish outburst from a cabinet secretary when pressed on basic questions regarding their conduct.
"The Secretary of Transportation spent 24 days over several months recording a ridiculous promotional TV show about himself-an all-expense paid vacation-sponsored by the very corporations he is tasked with regulating. Secretary Duffy can yell at me all he wants. It doesn't change the facts. The companies he regulates-Shell, United, Toyota, Boeing, Royal Caribbean, among others-paid for his family's vacation. American families aren't so lucky to have corporate sponsors cover their bills as they pay $5 or $6 a gallon at the pump.
"So, today, I am formally asking the Department of Transportation's Inspector General to open a full investigation into Secretary Duffy's participation in 'The Great American Road Trip' and the nonprofit funding it. The American people deserve to know who paid for what and what those sponsors got in return. If Secretary Duffy has nothing to hide, he should welcome this investigation."
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