March 06, 2018
By Justin Wingerter –
Scott Pruitt, who has come under criticism in recent weeks for his first-class airfare, traveled first class on a few occasions as Oklahoma’s attorney general, according to documents obtained by The Oklahoman.
Thousands of pages of travel logs, emails and expense reports obtained Tuesday in an open records request show the Republican attorney general took about 80 trips between 2012 and when he left office last February. On four occasions, those trips involved first-class flights, the records show.
Pruitt’s infrequent use of first class as attorney general differs from his policy of the past year, when he routinely traveled in the finer seats. The Environmental Protection Agency administrator has said first class is necessary due to security concerns and the nation’s “toxic” political environment.
In September, The Oklahoman reported that Pruitt spent $14,434 in taxpayer funds to fly from Tulsa to the Panhandle and Oklahoma City one day in July. Pruitt had received permission from an EPA attorney to use a Department of Interior plane due to his tight schedule.
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is “to protect human health and the environment.” Disgraced EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt tried his best to undermine this vital mission by choosing to slash critical health protections and let corporate polluters off the hook. Now that Pruitt’s been booted, we need an EPA administrator dedicated to undoing his toxic agenda and restoring the agency to its core mission. Progress is possible and necessary – but another corporate crony or climate skeptic will not get us there.
Scott Pruitt is gone, but the fight is just beginning. We need an EPA administrator who puts our health and environment first, period. Any alternative is unacceptable.
