Pruitt’s Planned Trip to Israel Raising Eyebrows

A trip to Israel later this month planned by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is definitely catching the attention of his Democratic critics, the same ones who have pelted him with request after request over his decisions.

“Perhaps he figured out ways to help Israeli polluters,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Committee. “Nothing comes readily to mind,” he quipped to Politico’s Morning Energy Report.

 

The trip will only add fuel to the fire of Pruitt’s critics who already have managed to start one investigation into the cost of his journeys.

As The Hill recently reported, EPA Inspector General Artyhur Elkins Jr. is probing Pruitt’s travel through Sept. 30, 2017. Using private and military jets instead of commercial airlines, Pruitt racked up $60,000 on costs. He traveled 48 of his first 92 days in office and 43 days included stops in Oklahoma.

Pruitt, the former Oklahoma Attorney General is already under investigation over lobbying members of the National Mining Association to urge President Trump to pull out of the Paris climate deal.

Further, the Oklahoma Bar Association has an investigation into a complaint that he lied under oath during his confirmation hearing about the use of private emails while he was Attorney General.