advertisement

Records: EPA chief jets away for weekends on taxpayer's dime

WASHINGTON (AP) - Records show the head of the Environmental Protection Agency spent weekends in his home state during his first three months in office, frequently flying to and from Oklahoma at taxpayer's expense.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's expenses from March through May were released following a Freedom of Information request filed by Environmental Integrity Project, a non-profit watchdog group.

The records show Pruitt traveled home 10 times, typically leaving Washington on Fridays and returning on Mondays. Pruitt was either in Oklahoma or on trips that included stops there for nearly half of the days included in the three-month period, costing about $15,000.

The records indicate Pruitt attended speaking engagements or "informational meetings" during the trips, which were first reported by The New York Times.

EPA did not respond to requests for comment.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.