Tag: Pruitt abuse of taxpayer dollars

How Scott Pruitt Plans to Defend Himself on Capitol Hill: Spread the Blame

The following article by Lisa Friedman and Coral Davenport was posted on the New York Times website April 25, 2018:

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt faces allegations of excessive spending on travel, vehicles, raises and luxe security features such as a $43,000 soundproof phone booth. | Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo

WASHINGTON — As Scott Pruitt, the embattled head of the Environmental Protection Agency, prepares to testify before Congress on Thursday amid a series of spending and ethics investigations, an internal E.P.A. document indicates that he may blame his staff for many of the decisions that have put a cloud over his tenure at the agency.

The document, known as the “hot topics” list, appears to lay out talking points for Mr. Pruitt’s two sessions before the House of Representatives. It suggests that Mr. Pruitt is prepared to say that he now flies coach when traveling; that others were responsible for giving two close aides who used to work for him in Oklahoma substantial pay raises; and that E.P.A. officials who were reassigned or demoted after challenging his spending all had performance issues. Continue reading “How Scott Pruitt Plans to Defend Himself on Capitol Hill: Spread the Blame”

Collins: Pruitt is the wrong person to head the EPA on policy grounds alone

The following article by Rebecca Savransky was posted on the Hill website April 8, 2018:

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Sunday that she doesn’t believe Scott Pruitt is the right person to be leading the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“On policy grounds alone, I think Scott Pruitt is the wrong person to head the EPA,” Collins said during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

She was pressed on whether she believes Pruitt should resign or be fired. Continue reading “Collins: Pruitt is the wrong person to head the EPA on policy grounds alone”

Pruitt’s round-the-clock security has cost taxpayers nearly $3 million

The following article by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis was posted on the Washington Post website April 7, 2018:

This post has been updated.

Scott Pruitt’s security detail has required far more resources than his predecessors’, costing taxpayers nearly $3 million when factoring in overtime and frequent travel for the agents who protect the Environmental Protection Agency administrator 24/7, according to an EPA official.

That figure, first reported by the Associated Press, sheds new light on the unprecedented level of security that has surrounded Pruitt since shortly after he arrived at the agency. Continue reading “Pruitt’s round-the-clock security has cost taxpayers nearly $3 million”

AP sources: EPA chief spent millions on security and travel

The following article by Michael Biesecker was posted on the Associated Press website April 7, 2018:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt’s concern with his safety came at a steep cost to taxpayers as his swollen security detail blew through overtime budgets and at times diverted officers away from investigating environmental crimes.

Altogether, the agency spent millions of dollars for a 20-member full-time detail that is more than three times the size of his predecessor’s part-time security contingent. Continue reading “AP sources: EPA chief spent millions on security and travel”

Christie on Pruitt controversy: ‘I don’t know how you survive this one’

The following article by Brett Samuels was posted on the Hill website April 1, 2018:

Former NJ Gov. Chris Christie on This Week Credit: Screen Grab

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Sunday expressed skepticism that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt will keep his job in the wake of a scandal over his living arrangement in Washington, D.C.

ABC News reported last week that Pruit rented a bedroom in a Capitol Hill condo that is co-owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist.

“If Mr. Pruitt’s going to go, it’s because he never should have been there in the first place,” Christie said on ABC’s “This Week.” Continue reading “Christie on Pruitt controversy: ‘I don’t know how you survive this one’”

First-class travel distinguishes Scott Pruitt’s EPA tenure

The following article by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis was posted on the Washington Post website February 11, 2018:

Members of President Trump’s Cabinet have taken noncommercial flights at the expense of taxpayers, and Trump says he’s “not happy.” (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Just days after helping orchestrate the United States’ exit from a global climate accord last June, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt embarked on a whirlwind tour aimed at championing President Trump’s agenda at home and abroad.

On Monday, June 5, accompanied by his personal security detail, Pruitt settled into his $1,641.43 first-class seat for a short flight from the District to New York City. His ticket cost more than six times that of the two media aides who came along and sat in coach, according to agency travel vouchers; the records do not show whether his security detail accompanied him at the front of the plane. Continue reading “First-class travel distinguishes Scott Pruitt’s EPA tenure”