Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is playing taxpayers and his boss, President Trump. We know this from the Washington Post’s piece on Monday, outlining Pruitt’s frequent choice to fly first class and his penchant for global adventures.
The metaphor for Pruitt’s approach to taxpayer-funded travel seems to be a $1,641.43 first class seat for a flight from Washington, D.C., to New York City. By itself, that expense is outrageous. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
The Washington Post notes that government officials are not supposed to use first class tickets outside of long-haul flights unless for medical reasons or “exceptional security circumstances.” The Post adds that “Pruitt has used the security exception often during the past year.”
I would like to know why. After all, considering that passengers on an airliner have gone through security screening, that their names have been checked against watch-lists and that Pruitt is surrounded by his detail when on board an aircraft, I’m not buying the security excuse for first class flights.
I know first hand that it is not a Cabinet-specific security requirement; in 2016, I sat behind then-Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. Lew was in economy class and seated next to a random member of the public who questioned him for most of the flight! His security detail was attentive and close by, but not overly concerned.
Even then, Pruitt has taken an excessive approach to his security arrangements. While the EPA administrator requires a full-time security detail to protect him from environmental terrorists, the degree and cost of his security arrangements are significantly higher than those of his predecessors.
When it comes to flying abroad such as to the Vatican (a trip Pruitt made last year and which doesn’t necessarily seem to comport with the EPA’s role), these costs are extended by added flight tickets, hotel rooms, and associated expenses.
To be fair, it’s not just Pruitt who is wasting taxpayer money on excessive security. As I’ve noted, too many White House officials also receive Secret Service details they very likely don’t require.
Nevertheless, when it comes to an administration that has pledged to drain the swamp, Pruitt’s choices are inconsistent. President Trump should take action.
