Scott Pruitt's lobbyist landlord reportedly had to pester him to pay his rent

Under his lease agreement, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency had to pay only $50 a night for a room at a condo on Capitol Hill, but he wasn't always quick to hand over his rent check, two people with knowledge of the matter told Politico.

Scott Pruitt rented the room at the below-market rate from Vicki Hart, a health care lobbyist whose husband J. Steven Hart is an energy lobbyist. Hart often had to badger Pruitt for his rent money, Politico reports, even though he only had to pay for the nights when he actually slept at the condo. His cushy lease agreement was reported last week, and it was later revealed that while his daughter was a White House intern, she also stayed at the condo.

The EPA inspector general's office said on Thursday it is considering opening an investigation into the lease agreement. Pruitt, who has been under scrutiny for using taxpayer funds to fly first class and spending tens of thousands of dollars on a soundproof phone booth, took offense to a Fox News reporter asking him on Wednesday if renting a room from a lobbyist is inline with President Trump's vow to drain the swamp. "I don't even think that's even remotely fair to ask that question," he said.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up