EPA chief spent millions on security and travel

[TomCADem]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — 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 to protect him.

Altogether, the agency spent millions of dollars for a 20-member full-time security detail that is three times the size of his predecessor's part-time security contingent.

New details in Pruitt's expansive spending for security and travel emerged from agency sources and documents reviewed by The Associated Press. They come as the embattled EPA leader fends off allegations of profligate spending and ethical missteps that have imperiled his job.

Shortly after arriving in Washington, Pruitt demoted the career staff member heading his security detail and replaced him with EPA Senior Special Agent Pasquale "Nino" Perrotta, a former Secret Service agent who operates a private security company. An EPA official with direct knowledge of Pruitt's security spending says Perrotta oversaw a rapid expansion of the EPA chief's security detail to accommodate guarding him day and night, even on family vacations and when Pruitt was home in Oklahoma.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ap-sources-epa-chief-spent-millions-on-security-and-travel/ar-AAvzcNf?li=BBnbcA1

[mr_lebowski]

1. Well, when you're basically a mob boss running a criminal outfit, security becomes quite important!

I mean, who knows when the other bosses might make a move on you, ya know?

[J_William_Ryan]

2. And Trump sycophants will continue to attempt to defend the indefensible.

[duforsure]

3. Corruption running wild

Out of this administration. Just like Putin has done in Russia, where only the most corrupt survive. No surprise. Again the opposite of what trump claimed and said.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. The millions of dollars inflate his ego. He travels coach on his own dime.

The "security" excuse is what he uses to travel first class when the taxpayer is paying, including his security detail.

But when he has to pay for personal travel, he goes coach, including his security detail, who are still paid overtime and all the other expenses.

4. His first-class travel ― and his explanation.

Federal regulations dictate that government employees be “prudent” when “making official travel arrangements,” and book “the least expensive class of travel that meets their needs.” Yet Pruitt routinely spent between $1,400 and $4,000 on flights to Boston, New York and Corpus Christi, Texas, according to The Washington Post. He regularly stayed in luxury hotels. His international travel expenses soared into the six figures. In June, a trip to an environmental summit in Italy cost more than $120,000, while a December trip to Morocco to promote liquefied natural gas ― a bizarre responsibility for the nation’s environmental regulator to take on ― reportedly cost nearly $40,000 with staff. In February, Pruitt defended his first-class airfare, insisting angry members of the public heckled him in economy class.

5. His frequent trips back home to Oklahoma.

The EPA shelled out between $2,000 and $2,600 for Pruitt’s first-class flights to his home state of Oklahoma, where he spent 43 out of 92 days last spring. The trips cost a total of more than $12,000 in airfare, according to records released last year. His frequent travel triggered a probe from the EPA inspector general, and prompted speculation that the former Oklahoma attorney general was using the EPA’s budget to lay the groundwork for an eventual campaign for governor or Senate in the Sooner State.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Rachel talked about this last night.

It's a disgrace.

[DeminPennswoods]

6. I sure hope Dem candidates start emphasizing

just how much $s has been, essentially, stolen from American taxpayers by Trump and his grifter cronies. I also hope that candidates say they will do everything possible to recoup those dollars.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. Actually

the PACs for those candidates could have a field day... And that lets the candidates focus on policy stuff.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. 23 scandals surrounding Pruitt:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142030721

[BumRushDaShow]

14. And I bet

that is just the tip of the iceberg!!!

(I did see that post earlier this morning )

[DeminPennswoods]

17. AM Joy hinted at that this morning

that WH staffers were expecting more shoes to drop on Pruitt.

[beachbum bob]

8. the ammunition of trumps corrupt admin and the republicans in the House and the Senate

will be amply used for Nov 2018 election cycle fueling the tidal wave. People like pruitt, mnunchin and others total contempt of americans who actually have to work will be a centerpiece in bringing down a corrupt republican party

[Mc Mike]

9. That's what dRumpfenfuhrer's Ed Secretary does, too.

Anyone that paranoid about their 'security' seems like they're feeling justifiably guilty, like they feel that someone they've wronged might catch up with them.

The 'someone' these bircher repuglinazi thieves have wronged is 300 million Americans.

[Lonestarblue]

10. Moral, ethical leadership matters.

I think it was one of the Parkland kids who used the words “moral leadership” in a speech, and they resonate as a great contrast to a philandering, unethical president and an equally unethical administration. I hope Democrats start talking about this.

[duforsure]

11. By trump doing nothing to Pruitt

After everything he's done, and lied about shows he's promoting corruption from this administration.

[Angry Dragon]

12. Get Smart Cone of Silence

[groundloop]

15. Here's what gets my goat - "diverted officers away from investigating environmental crimes"

This ego driven bastard was keeping people from doing their job in order to indulge his fantasies of grandeur while he took trips on our dime.

Of course it's a long shot that 45* (aka Spanky) will ever fire Pruitt since they both share the same vision of neutering environmental law and letting industry do what the hell ever they want while we suffer the consequences of lax regulation (such as our children getting asthma at ever increasing rates).

[Hugin]

16. and nothing on the Environment.

They forgot to put that in the headline.

[BSdetect]

18. If this is swamp draining please stop

[highplainsdem]

19. AP did a "nationwide search of state and federal court records" & found NO evidence of real threats

against Pruitt -- no one was arrested or charged with threatening him.

That little tidbit is buried in this very long, very infuriating article.