Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., on Sunday called for congressional oversight of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt following more allegations of misuse of taxpayer funds during his tenure at the agency.
“This daily drip of accusations of excessive spending and ethical violations serve to further distract the agency from accomplishing its very important mission,” Collins told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
“I think Congress needs to do some oversight. After all, we don’t know the extent of the recommendations made by Mr. Pruitt’s security team, but on policy grounds alone I think Scott Pruitt is the wrong person to head the EPA,” she continued, referring to Pruitt’s efforts to roll back former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plant Plan, as well as lead and methane rules.
Sen. Susan Collins on EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt: “On policy grounds alone, I think Scott Pruitt is the wrong person to head the EPA” #CNNSOTU https://t.co/6twzgjyP3k https://t.co/liFavzuS1O
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 8, 2018
Collins was the only Republican senator to oppose Pruitt’s original nomination as EPA administrator during his confirmation process.
But she said the decision to fire him is President Trump’s alone, an unlikely outcome given Trump defended his embattled Cabinet official Saturday via Twitter.
“While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA. Record clean Air & Water while saving USA Billions of Dollars. Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job!” he tweeted.
It was reported Friday that Pruitt spent millions of taxpayer dollars on a 20-member security detail three times the size of his Obama-era predecessor, Gina McCarthy.
The report follows the EPA’s inspector-general finding earlier this year Pruitt misspent public money on a trip to Europe with his wife in July.
Pruitt is facing a wider investigation by the EPA’s internal watchdog after it was also revealed he rented a Washington, D.C., townhouse from the wife of an energy lobbyist for $50 a night.
An aide for House Oversight Committee chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., suggested to Reuters Saturday their boss had “begun looking into Pruitt’s housing arrangements.”
