The wife of Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin is suing the Daily Mail for having the audacity to suggest, among other things, that she might fly commercial.
Christie Mullin filed a federal complaint last week against the British tabloid over its May report that Mullin tried to put his wife on the DHS payroll — in part because he wanted her to get access to taxpayer-funded private jets.
Christie Mullin argued that was ridiculous — because she and her husband own their own planes.
“The Article’s economic premise is false for the additional and independent reason that Plaintiff and the Secretary own two private aircraft and have their own access to private air travel,” Mullin’s attorneys huffed.
“Plaintiff has no need to obtain any federal designation in order to fly privately.”
The Daily Mail did not immediately respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.
The outlet's story, which remained live as of Friday, relied on three anonymous sources “with direct knowledge” of Mullin’s alleged inquiries into securing his wife a Special Government Employee designation, which would come with a salary of up to $70 an hour.
The report also included criticism from DHS insiders that Mullin often flew home on the DHS's controversial $70 million Gulfstream G700 jet for long weekends.
Christie Mullin denied these claims in her lawsuit and to the Daily Mail, whose journalists reached out to both the secretary and his staff before publication of the report.
The lawsuit contends the Daily Mail should never have published the story after receiving denials from a DHS spokesperson.
“Defendants published the defamatory statements with knowledge that they were false or with reckless disregard of whether they were false,” the complaint reads, “having entertained serious doubts as to their truth.”
The Homeland Security secretary’s wife also argued she should not have been subjected to public scrutiny because she is a private figure.
She complained about “the Article’s deliberate targeting of Plaintiff, a private wife and mother who has never sought or held public office and who has not injected herself into the controversy the Article manufactures.
“The spouse and children of a senior public official are not fair game for tabloid character assassination merely by virtue of the familial relationship.”
While Christie Mullin does not hold public office, she has attended political campaign rallies led by President Donald Trump and campaigned repeatedly alongside her husband.
Her accusation that the six Mullin children were subjected to “character assassination” stems from the Daily Mail’s inclusion of a family photo, which it credited to the Instagram account @SenMullin. She claimed her children were bullied in school and online after the report went live.
She. also complained about criticisms the report inspired.
“WTF is wrong with these DC people?” replied X account @ARagingBill, according to the suit. “Can’t they just do their freaking jobs and separate their personal interests from their work.”
“Nepotism or DEI?” replied @Iget2bme72. “Oh right…when it’s MAGA, they call it ‘qualified because I married him.’”
This is not the first time this year that Mullin, confirmed as Homeland Security secretary in March, has drawn public scrutiny over his jet-setting ways.
That same month, The Oklahoman reported Mullin’s super PAC Boots had spent $1.5 million since 2021 on private jets, limousines, luxury hotels and bar tabs.
Recent charges include $1,073.40 paid to Christensen Aviation, a jet center in Tulsa, in February, finance records show.
Earlier this month, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent Mullin the latest of four stern letters demanding answers about why his predecessor Kristi Noem spent $464 million in taxpayer money on 10 airplanes, one of which came with a bar, marble showers and a table covered in manta ray skin.
"The Department now claims that ‘four of the 737 airliners will not be used for deportation flights, but rather will be used to fly government leaders and members of Congress on overseas trips,’” the letter stated.
”To date, DHS has not confirmed when, if ever, any of the aircraft will be used for the purpose for which they were purchased, to operate deportation flights.”
Mullin also receives criticism often about posting photographs of people in handcuffs and ankle manacles lining up to board planes for deportation.
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