Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt will address a chemical trade group next week at a luxury resort in South Carolina.
Pruitt and eight members of the EPA staff will travel to Kiawah Island Sanctuary Hotel to speak to the board of the American Chemistry Council, The Washington Post reported.
An EPA spokesman told the Post that the trip is part of Pruitt’s “back-to-basics” tour to meet with stakeholders.
{mosads}The spokesman confirmed that the government would be paying for the trip, including a $135 government rate per room, per night for the hotel. The Post reported that registration costs for the meeting start at $649.
Spending among cabinet members in the Trump administration has been under close scrutiny — Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned after reports emerged of his excessive spending of taxpayer dollars on private flights for government business.
Pruitt’s spending, in particular, has drawn ire. The EPA spent nearly $25,000 to build a soundproof phone booth for Pruitt, despite already having one in the EPA building. Pruitt also has a 24/7 security detail, breaking with predecessors who had security details when working and in transit.
A security detail of three will accompany Pruitt on the trip to South Carolina, according to the Post.