Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt has called on his security detail to assist him with errands ranging from picking up his dry cleaning to helping him look for lotion, The Washington Post reported Thursday, citing two people familiar with the trips.
Those two individuals, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Post that Pruitt has asked EPA security agents to get his dry cleaning and once requested that they drive him around so that he could look for a type of moisturizing lotion that can be found in Ritz-Carlton hotels.
EPA spokeswoman Kelsi Daniell provided the Post with a statement in response to the newspaper’s story that said, “Administrator Pruitt follows the same security protocol whether he’s in his personal or official capacity.”
EPA has not provided a comment to CNN in reaction to the story.
In response to the Post story, Postmates – a logistics company that tracks down items for customers – said they could have found the lotion.
“hi just FYI we are a company called Postmates and we are willing to drive all over the city looking for a very specific fancy moisturizer so your security detail doesn’t have to,” the company tweeted.
The Daily Beast reported on Thursday that Pruitt has also tasked subordinates during work hours with getting snacks for him, including Greek yogurt and cookies, citing four sources familiar with the work environment at EPA.
One individual told the Daily Beast, “I can’t tell you how many times I was sent out to get protein bars” at Pruitt’s request.
An EPA spokesperson told the Daily Beast, “EPA will not be commenting on anonymous sources who are working to distract Americans from Administrator Pruitt’s accomplishments on regulatory certainty and environmental stewardship.”
Pruitt is currently facing multiple inquiries from ethics watchdogs, federal auditors and congressional committees into his actions at the agency. The inquiries are looking into Pruitt’s travel expenses as well as his security detail.
Figures released by EPA last month showed that the agency spent close to $3.5 million on security costs for Pruitt in the past year. That money has gone toward paying a team of 19 agents who offer around-the-clock protection for the administrator.
The news that Pruitt enlisted his security detail for help with errands follows reports that he has asked EPA aides to assist him with personal tasks.
CNN reported earlier this week on emails that showed how Pruitt used one aide to inquire about a potential business opportunity for his wife with the fast food chain Chick-fil-A.
CNN’s Gregory Wallace and Rene Marsh contributed to this report.