South Dakota Senator’s Travel Expenditures Surpass Colleagues
Since 2017, Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota has incurred higher office travel expenses than any other senator, including those from remote areas such as Alaska and Hawaii.
Opting for chartered flights over commercial airlines has significantly contributed to Rounds’ travel costs. Some of the aviation companies providing these charter services are owned by Rounds’ campaign donors.
Rounds’ travel expenses are publicly accessible because he sought taxpayer reimbursement, which is permitted for travel deemed necessary for official business. Senators also benefit from a reduced airfare program designed to economize taxpayer funds.
Despite existing regulations, scrutiny of Senate office travel is infrequent, and there are limited mechanisms to penalize misuse of reimbursements. No investigations or sanctions have been reported regarding Rounds’ travel spending.
Over the past nine years, Rounds’ office has accumulated $5.1 million in travel expenses, with $752,577 spent during fiscal year 2024 alone, nearly 20% of his office’s annual budget.
By contrast, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office reported $2.8 million in travel expenses over the same period.
Rounds frequently utilized Mustang Aviation in Pierre, SD, for charter flights. Owner Jim Peitz contributed $4,000 to Rounds’ campaigns between 2017 and 2019, while his wife Cathy donated $1,000 in 2013.
Although Pierre lacks direct flights to Washington, D.C., commercial airlines offer connecting flights with travel times to the capital as short as six hours.
Rounds’ office also spent $52,000 with Aberdeen Flying Service, known for its “plus, comfortable seating” and refreshment options. Owned by Mark Craven, the company received a $1,000 donation to Rounds earlier this year.
In a legislative capacity, Rounds supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which permits corporations to fully deduct costs of specific qualifying assets, including private jets used for business purposes.
Newsweek highlighted in 2022 how Rounds capitalized on a temporary COVID-era provision allowing lawmakers to fly private for health reasons, despite missing 20 Senate votes that year.
John Thune, South Dakota’s other senator, recorded no missed votes during the same period, with Rounds’ expenditures on private flights surpassing Thune’s sixfold from October 2021 to September 2022, as reported by KOTA.
Rounds is currently campaigning for a third term against independent candidate Brian Bengs, a veteran of the U.S. Navy and Air Force.
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