WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General will examine whether EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt misused taxpayer money by purchasing a soundproof booth for making private phone calls from his office.
The office confirmed the investigation Tuesday, after a request by congressional Democrats. It will be at least the third probe into Pruitt’s actions since President Donald Trump appointed him earlier this year.
Pruitt spent nearly $25,000 on the custom-made privacy booth.
He told a congressional oversight committee last week the purchase was justified because he needs a secure phone line to communicate with the White House. None of Pruitt’s predecessors used a similar setup.
Pruitt said the booth serves as a “Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility,” which typically are secure rooms used to house computers and equipment for communicating over classified government networks.
Former EPA officials have said that explanation doesn’t make much sense.
There was already a sensitive information booth at EPA headquarters in Washington where officials with the appropriate levels of security clearance can go to access classified information.