The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed it spent about $3.5 million in taxpayer money on security for Administrator Scott Pruitt. That's just for his first year in the position.
Here's how the numbers break down: The EPA spent $2.7 million for the salaries of his 20-person, round-the-clock security team. That group also followed him to every city he visited, with travel costs adding up to more than $763,000.
For some context, in the previous year, security team salaries totaled $1.4 million while travel costs were around $312,000.
Pruitt has come under scrutiny for his spending habits since taking the position. The EPA defended Pruitt though, arguing he has faced "an unprecedented amount of death threats."
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
