Inquiry faults premium travel by EPA head and his bodyguards

An internal watchdog urged the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to look into recovering $124,000 in premium travel charges incurred by Scott Pruitt and his bodyguards when he led the agency.

The EPA’s inspector general rejected Pruitt’s claims that security concerns warranted the travel at taxpayer expense.

The travel in question included $16,000 in premium-class travel to Morocco and 16 trips that were either directly to or stopped in Pruitt’s hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Pruitt had denied allegations that he indulged in fancy goods and travel at government expense and abused his office.