The Environmental Protection Agency spent about $3.5 million on Administrator Scott Pruitt’s unprecedented 24/7 security detail, according to EPA data viewed by Politico.
The EPA spent twice as much on security for Pruitt in his first year than the agency did in the final year of the Obama administration, Politico calculated.
Pruitt has insisted that he needs a round-the-clock security detail due to the number of threats that he has received. He also flew first class on domestic flights, ostensibly due to security concerns, but pledged to fly coach after an uproar over his spending habits. EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox emphasized to Politico on Friday that Pruitt has faced “an unprecedented amount of death threats.”
The EPA administrator has also come under scrutiny for installing a pricey soundproof booth in his office, renting a room in a prominent lobbyist’s home and giving large raises to two staffers.
