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.
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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Sydney mall attacker may have targeted women
Speed Read Police commissioner says gender of victims is 'area of interest' to investigators
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Kerala: one Indian state, four exhilarating ways
The Week Recommends The southwestern region pretty much has it all, from beachfront, to port metropolis, to verdant mountainside
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Is a high-yield savings account worth having?
The Explainer They can pay up to 10 times more than a standard savings account
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published