Scott Pruitt's assistants reportedly made his hotel reservations, then got stuck footing the bill


Scott Pruitt, scandal-accumulator extraordinaire, doesn't pick up the tab — he has assistants for that.
The Environmental Protection Agency administrator reportedly asked aides to book hotel rooms for his travels, then never repaid them for the cost of the reservation, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
Pruitt, whose management of the EPA has been under close scrutiny as various reports of misconduct emerge, has kept a very busy schedule chatting with oil executives and attending the Rose Bowl. All that travel, staffed by a full security detail, means many flights and hotel rooms. To book those hotel rooms, Pruitt would "routinely" ask assistants to put down their own personal credit cards, a former EPA official told the Post.
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.
One staffer recalled being left with a $600 bill after booking a hotel for Pruitt's family. When she hadn't been paid back after the official reimbursement period had expired, Pruitt's chief of staff ended up slipping her the cash that Pruitt owed her. Perhaps Pruitt was too busy moisturizing with Ritz-Carlton lotion to think about the Ritz-Carlton's room fees. Read more at The Washington Post.
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
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
By The Week US
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans