The EPA May Have Spent Millions On Scott Pruitt's Security Detail

Pruitt's lease on the Capitol Hill unit required him to only pay for the nights he occupied the apartment

However in March, " a Study in the Washington Free of Charge Beacon claimed that EPA appointees of President Barackobama had expenses which matched or surpassed Pruitt's.

But Trump, who is personally fond of Pruitt and sees him as a crucial ally in his effort to roll back environmental rules, has resisted firing him, disregarding warnings that the drumbeat of negative headlines about the administrator has grown unsustainable, and that more embarrassing revelations could surface.

The official, who asked for anonymity to discuss internal administration matters, said that the president had also reviewed the lease documents for a bedroom in a Capitol Hill condominium that Pruitt had rented from a lobbyist past year. They come as Pruitt fends off allegations of profligate spending and ethical missteps.

In August, the EPA's inspector general began investigating a number of expensive, taxpayer-funded trips Pruitt took.

In recent days, Trump has appeared determined to do things his own way, and he has conducted a purge of people in his administration who had clashed with him, including Rex Tillerson, the secretary of state, and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser whose last day at the White House was Friday.

White Home Chief of Employees John Kelly within the Oval workplace as President Donald Trump signed the tax reform invoice into legislation, December 22, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Pruitt also has championed budget cuts and staff reductions at the agency so deep that even Republican budget hawks in Congress won't implement them.

More news: Mexican Government Says US National Guard At Border Won't Be Armed

But other sources within EPA and documents released through public information requests help provide a window into the ballooning costs. The security is eating up so many resources that it's preventing EPA investigators from doing their jobs.

Nonetheless, Pruitt still has his fans, including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

Pruitt's predecessor, Gina McCarthy, needed a safety detail which numbered approximately a halfdozen, significantly less than a third the magnitude of Pruitt's. She flew coach and was not accompanied by security during her off hours.

Perrotta's biography, on the website of his company, Sequoia Security Group, says that during his earlier stint with the Secret Service he worked with the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian finance police.

And speaking of Pruitt's security, the EPA director has also installed a soundproof phone booth in his office that cost close to $43,000, had biometric locks put in his office that cost over $5,000 and had his office swept for concealed listening devices for $3,000. He also said his living arrangement was approved by an EPA ethics official. But Pruitt got an ornate refurbished desk comparable in grandeur to the one in the Oval Office.

On Thursday, a coalition of 64 House Democrats called for Pruitt's resignation.

The prior head of Pruitt's security detail, Eric Weese, was demoted past year after he refused Pruitt's demand to use the lights and sirens on his government-owned SUV to get him through Washington traffic to the airport and dinner reservations.

Related News:

06 April 2018

Feeling the love: Man City hook up with Tinder for global dalliance
When users open the Tinder app, they are asked to sign in via Facebook and led to a dialog box asking for additional permissions. Pressing "Ask me" - the only available option - asked the user to log into Facebook, starting the whole cycle over again.

06 April 2018

Cold front brings in strong storms and a blast of chilly air
The storm threat is expected to end by Saturday with a another cool down expected by Sunday, according to the weather service. Once that front clears the state later in the day, we're back to sunny and mild days next Tuesday and Wednesday.

05 April 2018

German prosecutors request Puigdemont's extradition
The German government has rejected calls from Puigdemont's lawyer to get involved. It is not immediately clear when the court will rule on his possible extradition.
07 April 2018

Round 1 of the Masters at a glance
It is his first Masters but he needed clearance from a doctor this morning after an MRI to ensure that his ankle was not broken. The 13 he posted at No. 15 pushed him to an 81 for his day. "Thanks for thoughts of concern, messages and prayers from all".

07 April 2018

Kevin Durant refutes Kerr's notion that Warriors did not care
Caring in general was the main problem", Kerr said when asked if the Warriors' defense was the problem . "We have four All-Stars". If he does it in the first round with Steph Curry still healing, it could be an early exit for the Warriors this season.

07 April 2018

Russian Federation says evacuation from Syria's eastern Ghouta to end within days
It says a local council for Douma will be formed with the approval of the central government. It was here that rebels transported weaponry and ammunition across eastern Ghouta.
08 April 2018

Brokers Opinions on: Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (BBBY)
According to Wilder, any number above 70 should be considered overbought and any number below 30 should be considered oversold. Facebook Inc. tumbled 2.75%, Apple Inc. was down 0.66%, Netflix Inc. declined 5.10% and Alphabet Inc. was off 2.36%.

07 April 2018

The Powell Federal Reserve
Put another way, he's aiming for the central bank's fabled "soft landing", a goal the Fed has arguably never achieved. This is the fourth hike within a year. "Like any set of forecasts, those forecasts will change over time", he said.

06 April 2018

Ex-Catalan leader pens open letter from prison
It was not immediately clear when Puigdemont would leave the prison in Neumuenster where he has been held since his arrest on March 25.
08 April 2018

Apple Plans to Bring Foldable iPhone in 2020: Isn't that insane ?
Bloomberg reported that Apple is pushing to apply this non-contact technology to the new iPhone , quoting multiple sources. The Beta Software Program allows anyone with a working Apple ID to try pre-release software for free.

07 April 2018

Vegas Play of the Day: Seattle Mariners at Minnesota Twins
Knebel threw a 95 miles per hour fastball for ball two, then stumbled to the ground and left with the assistance of trainers. As it turned out, yesterday's game time 38 degree temperature was only the second coldest opening day at Target Field .

05 April 2018

Mkhitaryan: CSKA is very good team with very good experience
We are going for over 2.5 goals in the game, and our prediction is available for the best odds of ¾ at BetVictor. The Gunners are the top-scoring side in the competition with 23 goals in their ten games.