WASHINGTON—Alleging rampant misuse of the inflatable transparent plastic sphere, an inspector general’s report released Monday showed that former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao violated ethics guidelines when she ran personal errands in a government Zorb. “Though federal rules dictate it is only to be used for official Transportation Department business, Secretary Chao routinely rolled around in the Zorb to pick up her dry cleaning or stop by the bank,” the report read in part, stating that Chao was often seen taking a spin down Capitol Hill to Foggy Bottom in the Zorb, only to call her aides to help roll her back up again. “The American taxpayer was on the hook for this improper use, including for the purchase of multiple rolls of duct tape to patch up the rips from all the times it popped. Despite this, she continued to use the Zorb for personal travel and even let family members—including her husband, Sen. Mitch McConnell, and her father, 93-year-old shipping magnate James Chao—use it to roll down all the best slopes in the D.C. area.” Reporters attempting to reach Chao were told she was using the Zorb to take a lazy river ride down the Potomac and thus unavailable for comment.