Tag: Pruitt graft

EPA’s Pruitt spent $1,560 on 12 customized fountain pens from Washington jewelry store

The following article by Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin was posted on the Washington Post website June 1, 2018:

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt faces rising scrutiny over several ethics issues, including his use of taxpayer money. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The account manager at the Tiny Jewel Box, which calls itself Washington’s “premier destination for fine jewelry and watches,” had promised to expedite the order of a dozen customized silver fountain pens — each emblazoned with the seal of the Environmental Protection Agency and the signature of its leader, Scott Pruitt.

Now all that the EPA staff member working with the store needed was for a top Pruitt aide to sign off on the $3,230 order, which also included personalized journals. Continue reading “EPA’s Pruitt spent $1,560 on 12 customized fountain pens from Washington jewelry store”

Pruitt flew coach when he wasn’t flying on the taxpayer’s dime

The following article by A.P. Joyce was posted on the mic.com website April 20, 2018:

Credit: Kaster/AP Photo

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt previously came under intense scrutiny for buying expensive first-class tickets because he was concerned that the people in coach were too mean to him.

Now the Associated Press is reporting that Pruitt wasn’t all that scared of the passengers in the back of the plane when he was the one paying for the ticket.

According to the AP, Pruitt flew coach on at least two flights back to his native Oklahoma that were not being payed for by the U.S. government. Continue reading “Pruitt flew coach when he wasn’t flying on the taxpayer’s dime”

All of the reasons EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is under fire (as of now)

The following article by Philip Bump was posted on the Washington Post website April 5, 2018:

On April 4, Fox News host Ed Henry pressed EPA administrator Scott Pruitt on the many recent controversies swirling around him. (Allie Caren/The Washington Post)

An emerging problem with the Trump administration is that allegations of impropriety against members of President Trump’s Cabinet can blend together. In part, that’s a function of the sheer volume of such incidents. In part, it’s a function of overlap — multiple allegations of expensive flights or expensive furniture against different people.

No one, though, has accumulated a list quite as extensive as Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. In the past week, allegations have mounted at Pruitt’s feet faster than precipitation in a climate-change-fueled extreme weather event. And while this last week has been rough, the new stories have been tacked onto an existing list of concerns about Pruitt’s behavior in office. Continue reading “All of the reasons EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is under fire (as of now)”

Pruitt directed staff to approve raises for top aides: report

The following article by John Bowden was posted on the Hill website April 5, 2018:

© UPI Photo

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt instructed staff to approve raises for two top aides, The Washington Post reportedThursday, a day after the EPA chief implied he wasn’t involved in the decisions.

The Post cites two EPA officials and one White House official who say that Pruitt instructed his staff members to approve the raises for two aides who had previously served under him in Oklahoma, though did not personally carry out the raises.

The news comes after Pruitt told Fox News in an interview that he had “learned” of the raises and taken steps to find out “how it took place.”

Continue reading “Pruitt directed staff to approve raises for top aides: report”

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”