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Death Threats Against Scott Pruitt has Led to Dramatic Rise in Security Costs

Death Threats Against Scott Pruitt has Led to Dramatic Rise in Security Costs

Stop. Threatening. People.

People. Grow up. Due to the enormous amount of death threats thrown at EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, the government has amped up his security. Congress has asked if this is a waste of money, but it seems a legit concern. From CNN:

The EPA’s inspector general’s office, which investigates threats, says Pruitt has received more death threats than any of his predecessors. The office has launched more than 70 investigations into threats against Pruitt and others, the agency said.

“We have at least four times — four to five times the number of threats against Mr. Pruitt than we had against Ms. McCarthy,” said assistant inspector general Patrick Sullivan, referring to Gina McCarthy, who held the post under President Barack Obama.

“The EPA is a lightning rod. We get threats from both sides of the spectrum,” Sullivan added. “Some people believe the EPA is not doing enough to enforce environmental laws, and they’re upset about that. Other people think the EPA is doing too much, vis-à-vis enforcing environmental laws and they’re upset about that.”

Asked for comment on this story, EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said, “We decline to comment on security measures taken months ago to protect the administrator.”

The government even provided new security in Pruitt’s office, which will restrict “access to even the hallway near his office.” The security checks “government IDs against a list of employees who are approved for access, according to individuals who work at and have visited the building.” Plus one of his aides opens his office at 7AM to let in the cleaning crew.

Other enhancements included “two access control card readers” at his office plus another card reader at the security office along with “an alarm in the office to alert agents.” Pruitt installed a soundproof box in his office to protect communications from hacking and eavesdropping.

The new security detail will cost around $2 million a year and CNN said that does “not include costs such as training, equipment, and travel.” The card readers and alarm cost $15,780 while the soundproof box cost $25,000.

Last month, former EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman implied that Pruitt is to blame for the these threats:

Whitman criticized Pruitt’s request for an expensive security detail while he also proposes deep cuts to the agency’s budget.

“If he has had enough serious death threats, then he shouldn’t have proposed the deep cuts to the EPA budget,” she said in an interview. “What worries me is if these people are being used for protecting him, they are not cracking down on environmental crimes being committed by companies.”

Okay, lady. Pruitt’s life should totes be in danger because of his decisions. Democratic lawmakers in Congress have also wondered if this is going to the extreme despite the fact that Pruitt receives way more threats than those who came before him. Of course, they took a swipe at President Donald Trump:

Reps. Peter DeFazio and Grace Napolitano asked the EPA inspector general to investigate their concerns that “taxpayer funds are being misused.” Their letter states Pruitt’s security costs “during his first quarter as EPA administrator is nearly double what the two previous administrators spent on security over that same timeframe.” That was before the new agents were hired.

Pruitt’s spending on travel, security and the soundproof room is “symptomatic of a troubling culture that appears to have swept through this administration,” the Democrats wrote.

“This culture, which is reflected in travel and lifestyle choices from the President on down, seems to embolden senior, politically appointed officials of the Trump administration to undertake lavish spending of taxpayer dollars for their sole and personal benefit, and not for the benefit of Americans paying the tab,” they added.

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Comments

notamemberofanyorganizedpolicital | October 23, 2017 at 1:05 pm

Suspect almost 100% of those threats are from Democrats.

All it took was for Dems to lose an election they just knew they had in the bag. All it takes is a guy like Trump who does what he says he will to Federal agencies and Dems finally show their true color.

Dems create a problem and then demand a solution to “terminate” the problem. For a group of people who claim to be so fair, so concerned, so pure… they don’t mind those that do their dirty work and thuggery….just as long as the trail is obscured back to them.

Wow, how do they get away with this?
——-

Last month, former EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman implied that Pruitt is to blame for the these threats:

Whitman criticized Pruitt’s request for an expensive security detail while he also proposes deep cuts to the agency’s budget.

“If he has had enough serious death threats, then he shouldn’t have proposed the deep cuts to the EPA budget,” she said in an interview. “What worries me is if these people are being used for protecting him, they are not cracking down on environmental crimes being committed by companies.”

    Dr. Ransom in reply to gonzotx. | October 23, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    That is indeed ridiculous. The comment is atrocious on its face, but the real translation is: “If he wants to feel safe, he better stop resisting the administrative state and its liberal policies”.

    That is scary.

    alaskabob in reply to gonzotx. | October 23, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    So… radical environmental groups are not criminals and only corporations are?

    I will retell my “EPA” story… In a cafeteria line at Univeristy of Washington, I asked a graduating law student what her plans were.. “I am going to work for the EPA”, she said… I asked why… and she said “because the government is always right.”

    Well… when the government is run by progressives then it is always right.

    “What worries me is if these people are being used for protecting him, they are not cracking down on environmental crimes being committed by companies.”

    The irony here is so thick that you need a jackhammer to cut it.

    These racial environmentals have nobody but themselves to blame that money going to protection is not being used the way they want it to be used.

DINORightMarie | October 23, 2017 at 1:29 pm

Most of these “extreme” security measures they outline are NORMAL in a federal office for ANY Senior Executive! This is a load of BS, and you can be CERTAIN they would REQUIRE more security if this was a Democrat administration’s agency head.

I work in a federal agency and there are pass-key card locks on every corridor, into every area, and only certain persons are allowed to pass! I cannot just go to see the agency’s Chief Financial Officer (or his/her deputy) for example, without a person allowing me in. I cannot walk into an area where the keylock doors are closed UNLESS I am on a “you are authorized” list.

Believe me, this is normal at federal buildings. Much ado about nothing, in that area.

Now, as for death threats–I would not be surprised if all those 70+ threats were from environmental whacko leftists, with perhaps a 1% from those who think the EPA is overreaching (which they are) but have mental health issues (as most who make death threats like this are).

It won’t “Stop” until people have a moral foundation again where they CHOOSE to do what is right over what is wrong, unless mentally deranged…..which IMHO describes nearly all the leftist activists out there today. Sadly……

A lot of people, special, and peculiar interests, have secular, emotional investments in the prophecy of Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming.

    Neo in reply to n.n. | October 23, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    It’s like a religion … but ‘separation of church and state’ would keep that sort of stuff out of the public square /snark

“If he has enough serious death threats, then he shouldn’t have proposed the deep cuts to the EPA budget,”

Got that? If you want to live, give more money to The Cause. If you do not give enough money to The Cause, you have no one but yourself to blame when they kill you.

Thanks for explaining that Christy. Now go away.

and not for the benefit of Americans paying the tab,

Michelle’s shopping trips to Europe—with full-boat Secret Service deployments—certainly enriched my life no end, so there’s that.

Scariest Halloween costume this year? Social Justice Warrior.

This has become the price of our freedom.

On the other hand, imprisonment of the people making the threats should be the price of their act.

This goes beyond any “heckler’s veto”:

“If he has had enough serious death threats, then he shouldn’t have proposed the deep cuts to the EPA budget,” [Whitman] said in an interview.

Assassin’s veto? Spoken of approvingly?

If Lincoln didn’t want to be assassinated he shouldn’t have issued the Emancipation Proclamation! Democrats, same as ever.

Pruitt made a most onerous mistake. He dared to take away the money-candy and public acclaim from the eco-terrorist arm of the rabid left.