(Reuters) - President Donald Trump has appointed Eric Hargan as acting Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), the White House said on Tuesday.

Hargan, the deputy secretary of HHS, formerly served on Trump’s transition team for HHS.

The appointment follows Tom Price’s resignation as HHS Secretary late in September over his use of costly private charter planes for government business.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, considered a potential successor to Price, said on Tuesday he believed he could best serve the Trump administration in his current role.

(This story has been refiled to correct paragraph 3 reference to late September, instead of last week.)