Steve Mnuchin: Trump's treasury secretary tried to use government jet for his honeymoon

Steven Mnuchin, an independently wealthy former banker, has come under investigation for his travel before

Steven Mnuchin is married to Scottish actress Louise Linton, who recently came under fire for boasting about her wealth (Getty Images)

Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary asked for the use of a government jet to go on honeymoon earlier this year.

Sources told ABC News Steven Mnuchin hoped to travel to France, Italy and Scotland. The request led to an "inquiry" in the Treasury Department's Office of Inspector General.​

A spokesperson for the Treasury Department confirmed the reports, saying Mr Mnuchin's request was made out of a concern that he wouldn't have access to secure communication.

“The Secretary is a member of the National Security Council and has responsibility for the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence," the spokesman told ABC News.

"It is imperative that he have access to secure communications, and it is our practice to consider a wide range of options to ensure he has these capabilities during his travel, including the possible use of military aircraft."

Mr Mnuchin's travel was already under review after accusations he used a government-owned plane to to travel to Kentucky last month to view the solar eclipse. The secretary's office said he was there for meetings focused on tax reform.

Mr Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker with an estimated worth of hundreds of millions, married Scottish actress Louise Linton in June. Ms Linton came under fire in early September after she posted an Instagram photo of her embarking from a government jet on the same Kentucky trip, while tagging a series of luxury designers, including Valentino, Hermes, Roland Mouret, and Tom Ford.

When a commenter criticised her for using taxpayers' money for the getaway, Ms Linton responded telling the woman to "chill out."

"Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband?" Ms Linton asked. "Either as an individual earner in taxes OR in self sacrifice to your country? I'm pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day 'trip' than you did. Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you'd be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours."

The actress later apologised through her publicist, saying her remarks were "inappropriate and highly insensitive".

Last year, Ms Linton deleted her Twitter account after her memoir of a gap year spent in Zambia caused outrage for including major factual inaccuracies along with what critics called the perpetration of a white saviour narrative.

In the book 'In Congo's Shadow', Ms Linton said that as an 18-year-old with "long angel hair" she had become a "central character" in the Congolese war, which took place in the neighbouring country to the one she was in. She also shared a photo of a HIV-positive child without obtaining any consent.