As Attorney General of Oklahoma, Scott Pruitt took millions from oil and gas companies to put their letters on official state letterhead. As head of Trump’s bizarro world EPA, Pruitt has found an easier source of personal funds—your wallet. He’s working hard at turning the EPA into the PEA—the Pruitt Expense Account.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s office of inspector general plans to look into whether Administrator Scott Pruitt adhered to agency policies when he traveled to Oklahoma dozens of times during his first six months as administrator.
Everyone likes to be home, but if it’s this vital to be 1,500 miles from Washington, perhaps taking a job in Washington is simply not the right choice.
Pruitt reportedly traveled to Oklahoma 43 days, or nearly half of all days during March, April, and May 2017, at a cost of more than $15,000.
But of course, Pruitt wasn’t just visiting his house so he could down some beans and BBQ.
Records indicate Pruitt, who served as the state’s attorney general until getting confirmed as EPA administrator in February, attended “informational meetings” during his trips to Oklahoma.
Of course he does. The same way that Donald Trump has “working vacations” at his golf course. Meanwhile, as Pruitt is working diligently to destroy the Environmental Protection Authority’s ability to actually protect the environment, he never hesitates to spend when it comes to protecting Scott Pruitt.
In fact, Pruitt has put a huge priority on guarding himself.
Compensation for Pruitt's security detail during his early months in office was $617,566.71, according to records. In addition, travel costs for the detail were $215,168.69 during that time period.
So it’s not just $15,000 to get Pruitt home in time to enjoy dessert, it’s a $215,000 tab for ferrying his bodyguards around—and that’s on top of the $617,567 that provides Pruitt a sense of security while he overrules scientists on dangerous insecticides and destroys climate change data.
For Scott Pruitt, this is just a continuation of the way he ran his office in Oklahoma.
While living in the same harsh fiscal climate and preaching small-government conservatism, Pruitt has managed to increase his office's expenses by 40 percent and add nearly 60 employees since taking over, creating a dynamo for legal attacks on the Obama administration and a launching pad for his political career.
Ambitious conservatives abound in deep-red Oklahoma, but the 48-year-old Pruitt has become known for an extraordinary talent for expanding his power and budget.
Pruitt preaches reducing the size of government—and he’s certainly accomplishing that goal when it comes to what his agency is supposed to do. But he’s an expert at using his office to benefit himself.