WASHINGTON (AP) – The Treasury Department said Thursday that a concern about secure communications is what prompted Secretary Steven Mnuchin to inquire about using a government plane for his European honeymoon in August.
In a statement, the department said the request for a government plane was withdrawn because a “secure communications option was identified” without the use of a government plane.
Mnuchin and his wife Louise Linton were married in June in a ceremony conducted by Vice President Mike Pence and attended by President Donald Trump and a number of members of Trump’s Cabinet. The two went on a honeymoon in August to Scotland, France and Italy.
Treasury’s statement noted that Mnuchin is a member of the president’s National Security Council and oversees the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
“We have multiple issues around the world where the secretary is directly involved in national security, notably North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, among others,” the statement said. “It is imperative that he have access to secure communications and it is our practice to consider a wide range of options to ensure that he has these capabilities during his travel, including the possible use of military aircraft.”