Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township has been criticized for travelling on a campaign-funded private jet and billionaire CEO Michael Rubin’s luxury helicopter, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to the story, Shapiro used Rubin’s helicopter last year for “at least nine round-trip flights worth nearly $68,000” and took the helicopter to New York for a number of campaign appearances, including those on The View, The Daily Show, a Clinton Foundation conference, and more.He spent more than $557,000 on private jets for campaign trips last year.

He has also been criticized for frequent usage of the state plane and state police helicopter, which went unreported in government records until this year, The Inquirer said.

In 2023, he took more total flights, spent more hours in the air, and racked up more flight costs than any first-year Pennsylvania governor in at least the past 12 years, Spotlight PA reported in February. Shapiro spokesperson Manuel Bonder told Spotlight PA that the administration would begin publishing State Police aviation logs for flights “involving the Governor or the Lieutenant Governor in the same manner and frequency as PennDOT flight logs.”

Shapiro’s office says that frequent air travel is necessary for the job. Rubin’s contributions to Shapiro through the use of his luxury helicopter is legal and permitted under Pennsylvania’s campaign finance law, The Inquirer said.

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Photo: Commonwealth Media Services