Watch Sen. Patrick Leahy bulldoze Scott Pruitt over claims that first-class travel was for his safety

Patrick Leahy.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Youtube/Emily Daniels)

Scott Pruitt, the scandal-plagued administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, faced his third hearing in a month before Congress on Wednesday, where the Senate Appropriations subcommittee grilled him on his possible spending and ethics violations. Of particular ridicule was Pruitt's 24/7 security detail and his first-class air travel, which the EPA has defended as justified due to unnamed threats against Pruitt's safety.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in particular took Pruitt down a few notches during the hearing for that excuse. "You traveled first class around the world," Leahy said, then paused to sigh disapprovingly. "What a silly reason you had to fly first class: because of a danger to you … Nobody even knew who you are."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.