(CNN) On Thursday night, Politico published a story with this eye-popping headline: "Price took military jets to Europe, Asia for over $500K."

That's Tom Price, the head of the Health and Human Services Department. And, when you add up all of the more than two dozen private and chartered jets Price has taken since May, the pricetag -- ahem -- is now north of $1 million taxpayer dollars, according to calculations made by Politico.

Which is, in a word, trouble. And, which is, in three words, a fireable offense.

Trump has left open the question of Price's future employment. "I was looking into it and I will look into it," he told reporters earlier this week. "I will tell you personally, I'm not happy about it. I am not happy about it I'm going to look at it. I let him know it." Asked whether he will fire Price over the private jet use, Trump responded cryptically: "We'll see."

Price, sensing he is in deep trouble, tried to stanch the bleeding on Thursday by pledging to write a check covering the cost of his seat on all of these private plane trips -- including one from Washington to Philadelphia that cost $25,000.

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