Lehigh Times

Senator Jarrett Coleman has published flight logs for Governor Josh Shapiro's use of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's (PennDOT) private airplane, highlighting taxpayer-funded travel expenses. In 2024, over $300,000 was spent on flights for Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, covering trips both within and outside Pennsylvania.

The disclosed flights included events such as throwing the first pitch at a National League Division Series game, attending a Penn State versus Michigan football match, viewing a solar eclipse with family, and visiting Hilton Head in South Carolina.

Coleman stated that the information was compiled through extensive research involving Shapiro’s daily calendar, social media updates, and media reports. He emphasized that taxpayers should not be required to undertake such efforts to access this information. "Taxpayers don’t have the time for all that legwork and shouldn’t have to play detective anyway," he said.

Concerns about potential misuse of PennDOT’s aircraft by Shapiro and Davis arose during budget hearings conducted by Coleman and other Senate Appropriations Committee members. These hearings aim to ensure responsible use of state funds.

While state law mandates PennDOT to post airplane usage logs including costs and passenger names, no similar regulation exists for State Police aviation. Coleman criticized the current data from PennDOT as inadequate due to inaccuracies and omissions. "The data provided by PennDOT is woefully inadequate," he remarked.

Shapiro’s flight logs are now accessible on Coleman's website for public review.