Lina Khan, who served as chair of the Federal Trade Commission under Joe Biden, is under fire for billing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars for luxury travel and quietly planting a Democrat operative into the FTC just hours before the Trump administration took office.
A federal inspector general report revealed that Khan racked up nearly $19,000 in chauffeured car services during trips across the country and in Washington, D.C.—often choosing private drivers over far cheaper alternatives. In one instance, she spent $1,128 on a car service in Denver instead of opting for a $407 rental. The report found that she made no effort to justify the expense or consider lower-cost options.
The trips in question coincided with appearances alongside Democrat politicians just ahead of the 2024 election, raising red flags about the partisan use of government resources. On October 2, Khan traveled to Chicago to join Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, racking up $1,021 in car service expenses. The next day, she was in Madison, Wisconsin, for an event with Rep. Mark Pocan, billing another $2,215. The inspector general found the travel often had only “nominal policy themes,” while the election timing was unmistakable.
This is the same Lina Khan who publicly railed against corporate excess and wealth inequality, all while living lavishly on the taxpayer’s dime.
The FTC claimed the spending technically didn’t violate current policy but acknowledged the need to tighten its internal rules. The inspector general, however, recommended stronger justification and documentation for future travel expenses.
But Khan’s luxury travel spree is just one layer of the scandal.
Before leaving office, Khan orchestrated a last-minute personnel move that has triggered a criminal investigation. In her final hours leading the FTC, Khan personally overrode internal objections to install Nathaniel Segal—a former Biden White House political appointee—into a top civil service job. Segal had worked for both Biden and Kamala Harris before being quietly moved into a long-term role at the FTC on January 18, 2025.
The move appears to have been an attempt to “burrow” a partisan loyalist into the agency before Trump officials could intervene. Segal’s appointment bypassed standard procedures, such as public job postings on USAJobs.gov, and falsely categorized him as a non-probationary hire to shield him from removal.
Once the Trump administration corrected that error, Segal reportedly falsified backdated documents to claim eligibility for Elon Musk’s “Fork in the Road” federal buyout program—despite not applying for it. He now faces a criminal probe, and Khan may not be far behind.
Burrowing political allies into long-term bureaucratic roles without proper authorization is strictly limited under federal rules. The Office of Personnel Management confirmed it had no record of approving Segal’s placement. Even temporary “term” positions, often used to dodge anti-burrowing rules, must be publicly posted and are not eligible for the buyout plan Segal tried to exploit.
The situation has reignited concern over how entrenched partisan operatives manipulated the civil service system to maintain influence after Trump’s reelection. It directly undermines Democrats’ claims that the so-called “deep state” is merely a right-wing myth.
While Khan never publicly addressed the Segal hire, agency job postings show a hiring frenzy in her final weeks at the FTC, especially in the tech division. Positions advertised between December 21 and January 15 included roles with six-figure salaries—some up to $195,200—all within days of the new administration taking over.
Khan, now a faculty member at Columbia University, has not responded to requests for comment.
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