Ongoing questions about Secretary Johanns' use of taxpayer funds

The recent release of the House Oversight Committee report investigating political travel by White House cabinet secretaries and senior officials has raised sustained questions inside and outside of Nebraska about Mike Johanns' use of taxpayer dollars for political travel in 2006.

The Washington Times reported on the scandal here:

"The Bush administration's political affairs office orchestrated an aggressive strategy to use taxpayer-funded trips to help elect Republican candidates, says a draft House report that recommends eliminating the office in future administrations or revamping laws to prevent such activity.

The office coordinated travel to 326 Republican campaign events in the 10-month run-up to the 2006 elections - more than one per day. It included trips to 35 states by officials from 12 Cabinet agencies and three independent offices, despite Hatch Act prohibitions on political activity by members of the executive branch other than the president and vice president, the report said."

The Washington Post mentioned Mike Johanns by name, noting that he had the second highest number of trips made by any cabinet official:

Big names like Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales only attended two events a piece. Meanwhile, less-recognizable officials like Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez led the way with 59 events, followed by former Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns with 38 and Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao with 25.

Salon.com reported that "with just three weeks to go, Johanns finds himself in a bit of a stew." Salon cites Nebraska blogger, Kyle Michaelis:

These trips may not have been paid for with Dept. of Ag funds, but they [were paid] for by the American taxpayer. As for the Johanns campaign's insulting excuse that "many" of these trips were for "official business," they should be downright ashamed of themselves.

Among the 38 Republican campaign events attended by Johanns on taxpayers' dime, 14 of those were political fundraisers without any purpose relating to his duties as Ag Secretary.