Scott Pruitt Spent $10,200 for a one year lease of a car with bullet-resistant seat covers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Times takes a deep dive into Pruitt’s long history of overspending and corruption here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/21/us/politics/scott-pruitt-oklahoma-epa.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

Why was NYT reporting this as a scoop when I read all of it at least two weeks ago? I think this was all reported long ago in OK papers and blogs and I think by Politico more recently?

[Anonymous]

Pruitt A-OK with bribery:

"SBC was known to court lawmakers with gifts, including tickets for Mr. Pruitt and others to watch Oklahoma State University play in the men’s basketball Final Four in 2004

Later, when Mr. Pruitt became attorney general, he helped quash another attempt to revisit the SBC bribery case. In a March 2011 letter, Mr. Pruitt’s office warned that any commissioner who reopened the investigation could face prosecution for the misuse of public funds."

[Anonymous]

Seriously the swampiest person I've heard of yet, and that is saying something these days:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/21/us/politics/scott-pruitt-oklahoma-epa.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

[Anonymous]

I think it's even odds whether he is prosecuted at this point.

[Anonymous]

he likes the chartered jets and the cool lights and sirens and motorcades

[Anonymous]

This is so bad.

[Anonymous]

He's probably at church, lol.

[Anonymous]

I bet everyone on here defending Scott Pruitt also loses their sh*t about ordinary government workers having telework privileges because it’s somehow an abuse of a system under which government employees are accountable to taxpayers.

Trumps cabinet is composed of guys who spent years living large on their shareholders dime. They seem to think they can work for government and keep the private jet travel and lavish decorating budgets. They genuinely seem to not get the ethics rules and the “we are fiscal stewards of taxpayer dollars” that goes along with being a federal employee.

Tone at the top matters. You can’t say it’s okay for Trump appointees to misuse taxpayer funds, but not rank and file feds. We all work for the same agencies. We all have the same mission. We all have the responsibility to make the most of your tax dollars.

Random acts of violence happen everywhere. But a FOiA request showed that there have been no specific, credible threats against Pruitt. If their were, I would encourage the Secret Service to work with EPA security to make sure reasonable steps were taken to protect Pruitt.

But ad hoc expenditures that are supposed to go through Congress, non merit based pay raises for cronies, lights and sirens to make a lunch date, fancy office furniture, and even bullet proof seat covers have not been deemed by EPA security and the secret service to be necessary to protect Pruitt. And the secret service is good at this stuff.

He’s entitled, and he’s paranoid. And in government, you don’t give people a pass on major ethics violations because you like their political beliefs. Or, you are not supposed to.

Also, cut the crap. Pruitt getting a $50/ night condo, using lights and sirens for lunch, flying first class or military jet on the taxpayer dime, but coach when he is paying, salary hikes for cronies, continuing relationships with lovbiests— these things have nothing to do with death threats or violent liberals. They are about corruption and greed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet everyone on here defending Scott Pruitt also loses their sh*t about ordinary government workers having telework privileges because it’s somehow an abuse of a system under which government employees are accountable to taxpayers.

Trumps cabinet is composed of guys who spent years living large on their shareholders dime. They seem to think they can work for government and keep the private jet travel and lavish decorating budgets. They genuinely seem to not get the ethics rules and the “we are fiscal stewards of taxpayer dollars” that goes along with being a federal employee.

Tone at the top matters. You can’t say it’s okay for Trump appointees to misuse taxpayer funds, but not rank and file feds. We all work for the same agencies. We all have the same mission. We all have the responsibility to make the most of your tax dollars.

Random acts of violence happen everywhere. But a FOiA request showed that there have been no specific, credible threats against Pruitt. If their were, I would encourage the Secret Service to work with EPA security to make sure reasonable steps were taken to protect Pruitt.

But ad hoc expenditures that are supposed to go through Congress, non merit based pay raises for cronies, lights and sirens to make a lunch date, fancy office furniture, and even bullet proof seat covers have not been deemed by EPA security and the secret service to be necessary to protect Pruitt. And the secret service is good at this stuff.

He’s entitled, and he’s paranoid. And in government, you don’t give people a pass on major ethics violations because you like their political beliefs. Or, you are not supposed to.

Also, cut the crap. Pruitt getting a $50/ night condo, using lights and sirens for lunch, flying first class or military jet on the taxpayer dime, but coach when he is paying, salary hikes for cronies, continuing relationships with lovbiests— these things have nothing to do with death threats or violent liberals. They are about corruption and greed.

+1
His tenure at EPA is emblematic of a return to the "spoils" system that characterized federal civil service before we moved to a professional civil service. That and the outsized role of energy and chemical industry lobbyists in making policy should give all lovers of constitutional democracies serious concern.
WP ran a good summary of his scandals. Really long but they still missed a few.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-factory-of-bad-ideas-how-scott-pruitt-undermined-his-mission-at-epa/2018/04/20/695fa2c0-42ac-11e8-bba2-0976a82b05a2_story.html?utm_term=.72c714efab8d

[Anonymous]

I seem to remember a story of many politicians spending 50 grand for portraits of themselves (in both parties).

Absolutely disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I seem to remember a story of many politicians spending 50 grand for portraits of themselves (in both parties).

Absolutely disgusting.

Chris Christie's portrait is apparently going to cost $85k. Yeah, there's plenty to joke about re: that, but it seriously is a ridiculous waste of money IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet everyone on here defending Scott Pruitt also loses their sh*t about ordinary government workers having telework privileges because it’s somehow an abuse of a system under which government employees are accountable to taxpayers.

Trumps cabinet is composed of guys who spent years living large on their shareholders dime. They seem to think they can work for government and keep the private jet travel and lavish decorating budgets. They genuinely seem to not get the ethics rules and the “we are fiscal stewards of taxpayer dollars” that goes along with being a federal employee.

Tone at the top matters. You can’t say it’s okay for Trump appointees to misuse taxpayer funds, but not rank and file feds. We all work for the same agencies. We all have the same mission. We all have the responsibility to make the most of your tax dollars.

Random acts of violence happen everywhere. But a FOiA request showed that there have been no specific, credible threats against Pruitt. If their were, I would encourage the Secret Service to work with EPA security to make sure reasonable steps were taken to protect Pruitt.

But ad hoc expenditures that are supposed to go through Congress, non merit based pay raises for cronies, lights and sirens to make a lunch date, fancy office furniture, and even bullet proof seat covers have not been deemed by EPA security and the secret service to be necessary to protect Pruitt. And the secret service is good at this stuff.

He’s entitled, and he’s paranoid. And in government, you don’t give people a pass on major ethics violations because you like their political beliefs. Or, you are not supposed to.

Also, cut the crap. Pruitt getting a $50/ night condo, using lights and sirens for lunch, flying first class or military jet on the taxpayer dime, but coach when he is paying, salary hikes for cronies, continuing relationships with lovbiests— these things have nothing to do with death threats or violent liberals. They are about corruption and greed.

And violent threats, and deep state corruption, and stifling the anti business practices of the EPA

[Anonymous]

I'm confused. How can a car's seats be both leather and bullet-proof? Seems like we were double-charged. Also what good is a bullet-proof seat cover - isn't your body on top of the seat?

Honest questions...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given the left? I've no issues with that.

i'm sorry. our family was threatened on numerous occasions due to dh's job. all from right. and dh made due with the government issued vehicle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused. How can a car's seats be both leather and bullet-proof? Seems like we were double-charged. Also what good is a bullet-proof seat cover - isn't your body on top of the seat?

Honest questions...

If the bullet comes from behind, I guess.