Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Faces Ethics Probe and Grant Shift Controversy

The nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has asked the Department of Transportation’s inspector general to examine possible ethics violations by Secretary Sean Duffy. The complaint centers on a retweet from the DOT’s official X account that promoted his wife Rachel Campos‑Duffy’s book, which CREW says used agency resources for private gain. A DOT spokesperson said a staffer inadvertently shared the post and it was later removed. CREW also cited a prior request to investigate Duffy’s participation in a government‑funded travel web series involving transportation companies, asserting a pattern of using his office to benefit family interests.

Separately, Secretary Duffy announced that $1.73 billion in BUILD grant funding would be directed chiefly toward roads, bridges, ports, rail, transit and aviation projects, stating the move ends “Biden‑era DEI pet projects.” The shift away from bike‑lane and climate‑focused initiatives sparked criticism from left‑leaning media, which accused Duffy of politicizing the grants. The announcement reallocated roughly 77% of the awards to core infrastructure, affecting 127 projects nationwide.