US Official's round-the-clock $4m security involves 18 agents

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. Photo / AP

Scott Pruitt's security detail has required far more resources than that of his predecessors, costing US taxpayers nearly US$3 million ($4m) when factoring in overtime and frequent travel for the agents who protect the Environmental Protection Agency administrator 24/7, according to an EPA official.

That figure, first reported by AP, sheds new light on the unprecedented level of security that has surrounded Pruitt since shortly after he arrived at the agency.

And it comes as he faces increasing scrutiny over his spending and management, as well as over his unusual rental arrangement last year with a longtime lobbyist. Even some Republican lawmakers have called for Pruitt's ouster in recent days, though US President Donald Trump has joined many conservatives and industry representatives in standing by the embattled EPA chief.

Travel schedules and agency correspondence obtained by the Washington Post show that Pruitt's detail, which is triple the size of those for prior EPA administrators, has stretched the agency's resources and required regular overtime for the men and women hired to guard him.

In the early months of Pruitt's tenure, that round-the-clock security arrangement prompted officials to rotate in special agents from across the country who otherwise would have been investigating environmental crimes; they were assigned to two-week stints helping protect him.

His detail now is composed of at least 18 full-time agents who are with him whether he's on official business or off duty. Given Pruitt's busy travel schedule and frequent trips home to Oklahoma, many agents racked up so much overtime that they hit annual salary caps of about US$160,000.

Pruitt is among the most high-profile Cabinet members and one of the most divisive. In justifying his constant security, EPA officials have said he has received far more threats than previous administrators.

Another agency official told the Post in February that verbal confrontations with members of the public prompted Pruitt to begin flying first-class last year so there would be a buffer between him and the public, as recommended by the leader of the detail, Pasquale "Nino" Perrotta.

"Scott Pruitt has faced an unprecedented amount of death threats against him and his family," EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox said when asked about Pruitt's security costs. "Americans should all agree that members of the President's cabinet should be kept safe from these violent threats."

In several emails obtained by the Post, EPA security officials made it clear last year that the administrator's extensive travel schedule put a strain on resources before the agency hired additional officers.

While Pruitt has maintained the public support of Trump in recent days - the President tweeted on Saturday that Pruitt has done "a great job"- some top White House aides have recommended that he be dismissed, given the intensifying reports about his ethics and management decisions. Even some political allies have questioned whether he should remain.