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Scott Pruitt.
- Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt wore out his welcome in the $50-a-night condo he was staying in.
- His lobbyist landlords eventually changed the locks on their property and told Pruitt they planned to rent the room to a new tenant.
The lobbyist family that let Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt stay with them for $50-per-night apparently soured on their guest to the point that they changed the locks on their home, Politico reported Friday.
Pruitt was reportedly only supposed to be living in that home, a Capitol Hill condominium, when he first arrived in Washington, DC. But when his initial lease ended, Pruitt did not leave. Instead, he asked for the lease to be revised on multiple occassions, two people with knowledge of the episode told Politico.
That lobbyist couple, Vicki and Steve Hart, reportedly became so incensed by Pruitt overstaying his welcome that they pushed him out and changed the locks at their property. In July, the Harts told Pruitt they had plans to rent the room to a new tenant.
"The original arrangement was that he would be there living out of a suitcase… and it just kept going and going," one source said.
Pruitt's condo deal is just one of many controversies currently swirling around President Donald Trump's embattled EPA head. Trump on Friday tweeted about the controversies, signaling some level of support for Pruitt.
"Do you believe that the Fake News Media is pushing hard on a story that I am going to replace A.G. Jeff Sessions with EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, who is doing a great job but is TOTALLY under siege?" he tweeted. "Do people really believe this stuff? So much of the media is dishonest and corrupt!"
Last week, Bloomberg reported that Pruitt was initially unable to provide documents related to his lease and payments he made to the lobbyist, three administration officials told the publication. The landlord eventually provided EPA officials with the lease and proof of payments Pruitt made.
Bloomberg found that Pruitt paid $6,100 over six months to stay in the single room in a two-bedroom apartment, paying only for nights he slept in the unit.