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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 5 september 2018

EPA watchdog faults Pruitt's

$3.5 million security costs

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER the agency's internal bodyguards more than
Associated Press watchdog concluded on tripled, to $739,580, from
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Tuesday. February 2017 to December
Environmental Protection The EPA allowed Pruitt and 2017, owing to Pruitt's
Agency failed to document his administrative team to insistence on 24-hour-a-day
any threats or security risks increase the security detail security and on premium-
that warranted spending to 19 agents, up from six class travel for himself and
In this May 16, 2018 file photo, Environmental Protection more than $3.5 million on for Pruitt's predecessor. a bodyguard, the report
Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt appears before a Senate unprecedented around- That "undocumented said. Sen. Tom Carper, a
Appropriations subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies on budget on Capitol Hill in Washington. the-clock bodyguards decision represents an Democrat from Delaware
Associated Press for then-chief Scott Pruitt, inefficient use of agency and a vocal critic as ethics
resources," the inspector allegations mounted
general concluded. against Pruitt, called the
EPA spokesman Michael agency's security spending
Abboud said in an email "simply unacceptable."
that officials had to look "This report confirms what
at more than specific and we suspected — Mr.
serious threats, or the lack Pruitt's excessive, 24/7
of them, in deciding how security detail and the
much security an official costs it incurred while Pruitt
needs. traveled the world first class
Abboud cited gun on the taxpayers' dime
attacks without warning was not properly justified
on GOP lawmakers at and was not based on a
a baseball practice last security threat analysis on
year and on a Democratic risks to Pruitt," Carper said.
congresswoman in Arizona Ken Cook, president of the
in 2011. nonprofit Environmental
"Lack of a threat does not Working Group, said Pruitt,
mean that there is no risk or who had been an avid
that protective services are enforcer of Trump's mission
not appropriate," the EPA to roll back environmental
spokesman wrote. regulation deemed
Pruitt left the EPA in July unfriendly to business,
after less than 1 1/2 years "not only held the EPA's
and amid unending mission in contempt but
revelations of scandals saw his post as a chance
over his spending and to pamper himself on the
other allegations of abuses American taxpayer's dime."
of office. The new acting EPA officials never gave the
EPA administrator, Andrew agency's independently
Wheeler, ended the funded inspector's general
unprecedented full-time office "any documented
security detail that month. evidence or justification"
The inspector general's supporting the decision to
report said Pruitt's give Pruitt night-and-day
security costs were more security, the report said.
than double those of The inspector general's
his predecessor, Gina report said the agency
McCarthy, during her last contended "the level
year. It also cited $106,507 in of protection is an
overtime, some of it in 2016, administration decision,
before President Donald informed by the awareness
Trump's administration, for of risks and the potential
security that lacked proper impact of those risks to the
authorization. efficient functioning of the
Travel costs for Pruitt's agency."q