Plane Flyover Protests Pruitt Travel at Texas Oil & Gas Event

Click here for photos of the event

The Woodlands, Texas – A plane carrying the message “Pruitt, #PayItBack” flew over EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s appearance at a Texas Oil and Gas Association event this evening. Friends of the Earth also circled the building with a digital billboard carrying the same message.

Since mid-February, Pruitt and his security detail have taken at least four non-commercial flights at a cost of at least $58,000 to taxpayers. Pruitt joins Secretaries Mnuchin, Price and Zinke on the list of Trump cabinet officials who spent exorbitant amounts of taxpayer money on unnecessarily luxurious travel.

Friends of the Earth is demanding Pruitt and other Secretaries repay taxpayers for the private flights—many to meetings with Big Oil executives and lobbyists—they took with taxpayer money.

Friends of the Earth Senior Political Strategist Ben Schreiber issues the following statement:

It is no surprise that Scott Pruitt is bilking taxpayers to fund his luxurious travel. Trump’s cabinet has turned using taxpayer dollars to fund their posh lifestyles into an art form.

Pruitt should pay back Americans for wasting our resources to hobnob with oil executives. Any travel Pruitt does should advance the agency’s mission to protect our clean air and water, not cozy up to polluters. Instead of rubbing elbows with Big Oil, Pruitt should be touring the contaminated areas in Houston that need assistance from the EPA.

Pruitt should pay back the American people for the money that he has misused and resign immediately.

Please click here for photos of the event.

Contacts: Ben Schreiber, (202) 280-8743, [email protected]
Erin Jensen, (727) 504-7163, [email protected]