EPA chief Scott Pruitt spent almost $10,000 on office decor, report says

The hits just keep on coming for Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt. The Hill reported Tuesday evening it had obtained an internal document saying Pruitt spent almost $10,000 to decorate his personal office with Smithsonian artwork, other framed items and a desk.

The disclosure came the same day the EPA kept three news organizations from attending a national summit on harmful water contaminants, drawing blistering criticism from news outlets. The EPA said it kept the journalists out to accommodate "stakeholders," but later relented and admitted all press members who asked to attend.

According to The Hill, the EPA paid the Smithsonian Institution $1,950 for labor and delivery charges for the three pieces of art, while spending more than $2,500 to frame items that included a photo of him with President Trump and an American flag.

The three paintings included one by William Louis Sonntag Sr. — a 19th century artist known for capturing pristine American landscapes — and the others were portraits of Founding Fathers John Marshall and James Monroe, according to the article.

Additionally, the EPA document obtained by The Hill, confirmed earlier reports that agency officials paid $2,963 for a standing “captain’s” desk and another $2,075 to refurbish another office desk for the administrator.

Pruitt recently faced tough questioning at a Senate hearing that included one Democrat calling Pruitt's entire tenure a "betrayal of the American people."

Pruitt's EPA is the subject of about a dozen ethics probes by Congress, the EPA’s inspector general, the Government Accountability Office and the Office of Management of Budget. Among the issues being investigated is Pruitt's $50-a-night Capitol Hill apartment that he rents from an energy lobbyist's wife, Pruitt's first-class travel — estimated at more than $100,000 — and his 24-hour security detail.

Dem senator mocks Scott Pruitt over expenses Sen. Patrick Leahy grilled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt for racking up more than $100,000 in expenses on first-class flights, telling him that, "nobody even knows who you are."

During the hearing May 16, Pruitt denied direct responsibility for the problems plaguing the agency and blamed his subordinates.

Some of the toughest questioning came from New Mexico Democrat Tom Udall, a former state attorney general like Pruitt.

"Every day there seems to be a new scandal and you at dead center," Udall told Pruitt. "Your tenure at the EPA is a betrayal of the American people. You have used your office to enrich yourself at at the expense of the American taxpayer and public health."

More: EPA prevents three news organizations from attending conference on water contaminants

More: 'A betrayal of the American people': Sen. Udall hammers EPA chief Scott Pruitt

Contributing: William Cummings. Follow Carolyn McAtee Cerbin on Twitter: @carolyncerbin