EPA chief defends actions amid blistering attacks

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt blamed the media and his staff for allegations of wasteful spending and questionable ethics as he faced bipartisan criticism today on Capitol Hill.

Pruitt in back-to-back congressional hearings blamed his staff for buying a $43,000 secure phone booth and approving pay raises of $80,000 for two of his favorite aides. And he maintained there was nothing improper with paying $50 per day to live in a condo owned by the wife of a lobbyist with business before EPA, or spending more than $100,000 on first-class flights.

"Let us have no illusions about what is really going on here. Those who have attacked the EPA and attacked me are doing so because they want to attack and derail the president's agenda and undermine this administration's priorities," he told lawmakers on the US House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Democrats reiterated calls for Pruitt to resign over what they said was bad judgment, including allegations that EPA staff who questioned spending were reassigned or fired. The committee's ranking member Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey) said his actions were an "embarrassment" while representative Paul Tonko (D-New York) said there was evidence of "serious ethics violations."

Pruitt today contradicted earlier remarks that he was not aware of the $80,000 in total pay raises for two subordinates. Pruitt in a televised interview on 4 April claimed he just found out about the raises. But today said he knew in advance at least one subordinate was getting a raise, just not the exact amount or the process under which they were approved.

"I was not aware of the amount nor was I aware of the bypassing or the [personnel] process not being respected," Pruitt said.

Pruitt would not answer if he had personally approved the raises.

But Democrats struggled to unearth other damaging information that might lead to Pruitt's firing. Pruitt did not offer specifics on his role in many of the controversies and instead attributed many decisions, such as approving the $43,000 phone booth or flying first-class, to career staff or his security detail.

Republicans mostly defended Pruitt. The committee's vice chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) said he was a victim of "Washington politics" and said while it "may look bad" to be flying first-class, it was not illegal. Representative David McKinley (R-West Virginia) said it was a "classic display of innuendo and McCarthyism."

But some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing Pruitt's spending. Representative Leonard Lance (R-New Jersey) said the secure phone booth was a "waste of funds." Representative Ryan Costello (R-Pennsylvania) said Pruitt's answers were "lacking or insufficient" and he had not demonstrated good judgment.