Under fire for travel expenses, Pruitt cancels trip to Israel

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post




By Juliet Eilperin and Ruth Eglash February 18 at 11:10 AM

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has canceled a nearly week-long trip to Israel, agency officials confirmed Sunday.

Pruitt, who had been scheduled to leave this weekend for an extensive tour of the Mideast ally, has come under fire over the past week for the cost of his domestic and international travel. In May, the head of Pruitt’s security detail recommended that he travel either business or first class whenever possible to avoid public confrontations with critics.

“We decided to postpone; the administrator looks forward to going in the future,” EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said in an email Sunday. She did not provide a reason for the postponement.

Pruitt was to arrive in Israel on Sunday and would have stayed at the prestigious King David Hotel in Jerusalem from Sunday to Thursday, according to people in Israel briefed on his plans. Support staff from the U.S. Embassy, which is currently located in Tel Aviv, were supposed to accompany him on his trip, standard protocol for any visiting cabinet members.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/02/18/under-fire-for-travel-expenses-pruitt-cancels-trip-to-israel/

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. If he can't ride in first class he isn't going at all? Is that it?

God forbid he should have to sit in coach with all the little people, some of whom might not be nice enough to him.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

5. I think you nailed it

Throwing the secretary under the bus didn't distract enough to let him get away with business-as-usual.

[Journeyman]

2. Wonder if we wouldn't be better off with him overseas, away from our land, water & air . . .

instead of petulantly brooding in his office beneath his "flag," scheming ways to avenge himself against those of us who'd prefer his position be held by a "public servant."

[Plucketeer]

17. No good!

This planet is too small to avoid the spoilage this crew spews.

[Stallion]

3. Why Is the Director of The Environment Protection Agency Going to Israel Anyway?

[Angry Dragon]

4. Very good question

[modrepub]

7. Wanted to test out first class for Emirates Airlines

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

23. I know what he's got his eye on...

It's available on Emirates' A380 (a European-built aircraft, which violates federal regulations which requires flying on American-built aircraft when available).

The Trump administrations' evil withers under the bright light of truth.

[getagrip_already]

8. exactly what I was thinking......

And the king david is not exactly a holiday inn express. It has to be $1000 a night. Multiply that by every toad in his entourage.

Why do these leaches still have jobs? They are filthy rich in their own right. They got huge bumps in income from the tax cuts.

If they want to travel like the billionares they are, they can pay for the tickets themselves. Why do we need to pay for them?

[jmowreader]

20. Oh, you're WAY low

I went to their website.

We know he's going to get a suite. Only peons book single rooms.

Garden suite $1100/night
Junior suite $1180
Executive suite $2300
Duplex suite $1900
Deluxe suite $2900
Deluxe center suite $3100
Royal suite and Jerusalem suite can't be booked online because they want to hear your ass hit the floor when you find out what it costs.

[Owl]

16. My question also.

[rpannier]

18. Yep

Love to hear that one

[oberliner]

25. Pruitt was expected to spend Sunday to Thursday in Jerusalem for meetings with government officials

Pruitt was expected to spend Sunday to Thursday in Jerusalem for meetings with government officials, like Israeli Environment Minister Ze’ev Elkin, and representatives from private sector firms, such as Israeli water technology companies.

He was also scheduled to make a series of site visits “to gain an understanding of Israel’s unique infrastructure and environmental challenges,” according to the Washington Post.

Proposed stops included the port of Haifa, a water recycling plant, and a toxic land remediation site.

[BeyondGeography]

27. IOW, boondoggle

[oberliner]

29. That sounds about right

[nature-lover]

26. My first thought too!

[beachbum bob]

6. pruitt doesn't care about this, there is something else in the works, perhaps indictment of

Israel's prime minister is coming and trump doesn;t want that to be focused with high ranking US officials there

[getagrip_already]

10. is bibi coming to discuss

how work release can be managed for a sitting president/prime minister?

[BumRushDaShow]

9. They are just flagrant about it

He'll reschedule for another time when no one is looking.

[DeminPennswoods]

21. Whoever is the 2020 Dem nominee

ought to make it a campaign promise to get full reimbursement from Pruitt and all the other traveling clowns for their extravegent expenses paid for with our tax dollars.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Yes.

[dalton99a]

11. Taxpayer-paid vacation to foreign countries is Job 1 at the EPA.

[pandr32]

12. Sorry--he should be forced to face confrontations with critics

Not be insulated from them with our tax dollars. If he is such a coward he shouldn't have the job.

[UpInArms]

13. Why in the world would our EPA need to travel to Israel?

Makes no sense at all .. I call bullshit because it smell to high heaven

[riversedge]

14. At EPA, guarding the chief pulls agents from pursuing environmental crimes

Pruitt is a paranoid snowflake


At EPA, guarding the chief pulls agents from pursuing environmental crimes

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/at-epa-guarding-the-chief-pulls-agents-from-pursuing-environmental-crimes/2017/09/19/7b7b8b6c-9ce0-11e7-8ea1-ed975285475e_story.html?utm_term=.c302e7e8aec6


by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis September 20, 2017 Email the author

Scott Pruitt's round-the-clock personal security detail, which demands triple the manpower of his predecessors at the Environmental Protection Agency, has prompted officials to rotate in special agents from around the country who otherwise would be investigating environmental crimes.

The EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance has summoned agents from various cities to serve two-week stints helping guard Pruitt in recent months. While hiring in many departments is frozen, the agency has sought an exception to hire additional full-time staff to protect Pruitt.

Shortly after the former Oklahoma attorney general assumed his post in February, aides requested 24/7 federal protection for him.
....................

[nature-lover]

28. If he wasn't such a crappy official, he wouldn't need protecting!

Does he really need protecting or is he just taking advantage of his position? Can't imagine that anyone would only look out for themselves in this administration.

[Arazi]

15. Need to generate enough outrage to force him out like Price

[dchill]

19. Aw, now you've gone and ruined his trip!

Are you ashamed of yourselves? Look at him - poor little guy!

[Cha]

24. Awww