The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint on July 7 with the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General. The complaint alleges that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy may have violated federal ethics regulations when his official social media account shared a post promoting a book written by his wife, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
Federal ethics rules prohibit government officials from using their positions for the private gain of relatives or for the endorsement of commercial products. The post in question was shared on the Secretary's official X account before being deleted. CREW President Donald K. Sherman stated that agency accounts should be used exclusively for government missions rather than personal business interests.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation stated that the post was "inadvertently retweeted" by a staff member and was removed as soon as the error was identified. The Inspector General’s office declined to comment on whether a formal investigation has been launched.
This is the second ethics complaint filed by CREW against Duffy in 2026. The previous complaint concerned the Secretary's participation in a travel web series. Duffy has stated that career officials approved that project and that no government funds or personal financial benefits were involved.