New documents show nearly $68,000 in recent premium flights, hotel stays for EPA's Pruitt
Source: Washington Post
New documents show nearly $68,000 in recent premium flights, hotel stays for EPAs Pruitt
By Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin March 20 at 9:12 PM
The Environmental Protection Agency turned over documents to Congress late Tuesday detailing nearly $68,000 in newly disclosed travel costs for Administrator Scott Pruitt during the past seven months.
The records, which came at the request of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) and were obtained by The Washington Post, show dozens of first-class domestic and overseas flights for Pruitt and other trip expenses between August and last month. That figure, which includes stays at high-priced hotels in New York City and Paris, does not include the travel expenditures of the personal security detail and aides who typically accompany him.
EPA officials attribute the elevated costs of Pruitts travels to the security precautions they have undertaken because of the number of threats he has received especially compared to his immediate predecessors since joining President Trumps Cabinet in February 2017.
The administrator has received round-the-clock security protection since shortly after he took office, and after a protester made vulgar and threatening remarks to Pruitt last spring, the head of his security detail recommended that he fly in first or business class to provide a buffer between him and the public.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/03/20/new-documents-show-nearly-68000-in-recent-premium-flights-hotel-stays-for-epas-pruitt/