Sen. Ron Johnson has been using a private plane owned by his adult children during coronavirus pandemic
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has been using a private plane owned by his adult children to travel between Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., amid the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
Johnson's change in his mode of travel has come as the second-term senator has been warning of a "level of unjustifiable hysteria" in the public around coronavirus, and urging people to stay calm despite the recent surge in cases in Wisconsin.
"Senator Johnson has been flying to Washington in a private plane for safety and logistical reasons during the pandemic. The senator pays for flights out of his own pocket," spokesman Ben Voelkel said Tuesday. "Before the pandemic, Senator Johnson flew commercial, always attempting to capitalize on low fares, and has done so throughout his time in the Senate."
Records indicate Johnson, one of the wealthiest members of the U.S. Senate, has taken more than a dozen flights since early May on a small business jet registered to Howard Air LLC, which is owned by the senator's three adult children.
Jake Sherman, a senior writer for Politico, first reported in a tweet this week that Johnson was regularly jetting between his district and Washington on a private plane.
Johnson, who announced Saturday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, has said he isn't experiencing symptoms.
For weeks, the Oshkosh Republican has been pushing back against calls to close schools and businesses in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. He's also accused the media and Democrats of scaring people by hyping the dangers of the virus.
Democrats said Wednesday that the Wisconsin senator is a "hypocrite of the highest degree" for opting to charter a private jet regularly for his own travel — an option not available to most people.
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"He’s spent the last seven months undermining public health guidance and has derided the response to coronavirus as 'unjustifiable hysteria' and 'panic porn,' and yet he doesn’t think it’s safe for himself to fly commercial," said Courtney Beyer, spokeswoman for the state Democratic Party. "It’s time Johnson started looking out for the people of Wisconsin and not just himself.”
But Voelkel disputed that characterization.
"Senator Johnson has repeatedly said he respects this disease, does not downplay its severity or human toll, has supported the use of masks in appropriate situations and does everything he can to avoid getting or spreading it," Voelkl said. "Flying a private charter is entirely consistent with his public statements."
Johnson said Monday that he would vote in person to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett even if he's still testing positive for coronavirus.
"If we have to go in and vote, I've already told leadership I’ll go in a moon suit," Johnson said during a talk radio interview with The Ross Kaminsky Show in Denver.
Earlier Monday on conservative talk show host Jay Weber's show on WISN-AM (1130), Johnson said he has been taking "dramatic precautions" in recent weeks primarily because he didn't want to get sick before the Barrett vote.
"The press has done such a good job of whipping up the hysteria. People really think that (if) they get COVID, it's a death sentence. It's not," Johnson said.
"Unfortunately, for some people, it is. For some people, you have very severe symptoms, and it's a weird disease. It affects all kinds of different parts of your body. But the vast majority of people probably experienced something like me. They're not even aware of it."
On Wednesday, the state Department of Health Services reported 2,319 new coronavirus cases and 16 deaths, bringing the death toll to 1,415. The average daily case count over the last seven days was 2,346 — up from 879 on Sept. 7.
Federal records say the private plane used by Johnson began making regular trips between Appleton and Washington five months ago.
Federal flight records show the plane, an Embraer Phenom 100EV, has taken 14 roundtrips between Appleton International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport since May 4. The small business jet, which seats six passengers, last flew from Appleton to Washington on Sept. 29.
The plane was purchased by Howard Air LLC in 2017. Howard Air registered the small jet with the Federation Aviation Administration at the Oshkosh address of Ben Johnson, the senator's son. The holding company owns at least three planes.
State corporate records show that Johnson's son filed the paperwork to create Howard Air four years ago. Ben Johnson, 32, was initially the registered agent for the company and remains on its board. The senator's wife, Jane K. Johnson, signed paperwork in June as a company manager.
Johnson did not list Howard Air on his latest Senate financial disclosure form, indicating he does not have a financial stake in the firm.
Voelkel confirmed Wednesday that Johnson's adult children own the company. The senator leases the plane from Howard Air and contracts pilot services from an Appleton charter company.
Earlier this year, the Senate Rules Committee said senators could get government reimbursement to fly on private planes because of the pandemic. But Voelkel said Johnson has paid for these flights on his own.
Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS.
Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.