Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been under intense scrutiny for various transit problems during his two years as head of the Department of Transportation, with the Ohio train derailment being the latest in that series.
As Buttigieg receives bipartisan criticism over his job performance and some Republicans call for him to resign, here is a look at three recent Cabinet officials in the Trump and Obama administrations who resigned after scandal.
BUTTIGIEG BLUNDERS: THREE TIMES PETE HAS CRASHED AS TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
Ryan Zinke — secretary of the interior (2017-2019)
Ryan Zinke served as the head of the Department of the Interior for nearly two years before resigning in December 2018. He faced federal investigations into his travel, political activity, and potential conflicts of interest. The inspector general at the Department referred Zinke to the Department of Justice over its findings, but the DOJ declined to prosecute Zinke.
He was elected in 2022 to serve in Congress, representing Montana’s 1st Congressional District.
Tom Price — secretary of health and human services (2017)
Tom Price served as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services for only seven months before resigning in September 2017.
He was the first Trump Cabinet member to resign after reports surfaced he was using close to $1 million in taxpayer money to pay for travel on private jets rather than fly commercial. He reportedly repaid the government $60,000 for the expenses, but the number was far lower than how much his travel actually cost the department.
Eric Shinseki — secretary of veterans affairs (2009-2014)
Eric Shinseki served as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the entirety of President Barack Obama’s first term before resigning midway through his second.
He resigned as a result of the 2014 Veterans Health Administration scandal when long appointment wait times for the Phoenix Veterans’ Affairs Health Care System led to the deaths of 40 veterans who were waiting for care. The negligence at the facility led to several officials losing their jobs, including Shinseki.
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After widespread criticism for his slow response to the Ohio train derailment, Buttigieg visited East Palestine, Ohio, to get updates from the National Transportation Safety Board and hear from residents of the town hardest hit by the disaster.
