Pete Buttigieg spotlights ethics concerns about Trump Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Thursday sharpened criticism of the Trump administration, amplifying a report that raised ethics concerns about his successor while invoking a phrase long associated with President Donald Trump’s political brand.

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On social media, Buttigieg shared an investigation by The Atlantic examining Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “Drain the swamp,” he wrote. The Democrat offered no additional commentary, but the message landed as the administration faces mounting questions about governance and a widening series of high-level firings.

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The Atlantic report details financial and political activity involving Duffy, a former Republican congressman representing Wisconsin, that ethics experts say blurs the line between public office and political activity. It describes how Duffy transferred $1 million from a dormant campaign account to a super PAC that later spent heavily to back his son-in-law’s congressional campaign, followed by a matching $1 million contribution from GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein.

The report also describes the former Real World cast member being listed as a “special guest” at a fundraiser backed by transportation lobbyists and industry figures with business before his department, a level of proximity that former ethics officials from both parties said would have raised red flags in prior administrations.

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Duffy’s office has said his actions were cleared by career ethics advisers, and the White House has defended him as a key figure advancing the administration’s transportation agenda. But Buttigieg’s post comes at a moment of unusual turbulence inside Trump’s Cabinet. Earlier Thursday, Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi following a contentious tenure marked by internal friction and political pressure.

Buttigieg’s post is not his first swipe at the administration. He has also publicly criticized Trump officials over national security concerns, including the handling of sensitive communications, as Democrats increasingly press the administration on competence and oversight.

Bondi’s dismissal followed the recent removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who exited the administration after weeks of controversy and scrutiny from lawmakers.