As if President Trump's embattled EPA chief didn't have enough on his plate.
Administrator Scott Pruitt, who already is the subject of a dozen ethics investigations, is now being asked by the White House mess — a cozy restaurant located in the West Wing basement next door to the situation room — to consider other dining options, according to a report from Politico published Wednesday night.
The former Oklahoma attorney general loved eating at the Navy-run restaurant, which features fine dining at bargain prices, so much that he prompted the White House Cabinet affairs team to deliver a scolding reminder that Cabinet members "shouldn't treat the mess as their personal dining hall," Politico reported, citing three unnamed sources.
"The message was clear, according to one person close to Pruitt: 'We love having Mr. Pruitt, but it’s not meant for everyday use,'" the website reported. "Another person added that the White House asked Cabinet members to visit the mess only occasionally because there are few tables available."
Politico said that Pruitt's allies disputed the notion that the warning about overusing the mess was directed the EPA head, "but nobody contests that he's a frequent presence at the White House for lunch."
The White House mess is located in the West Wing basement next door to the situation room and it only is capable of accommodating about 50 people at a dozen tables. Reservations are only available to senior White House officials. Other White House staffers can get carryout from a take-out window.
A billing statement obtained by Politico shows that Pruitt's account at the mess was charged nine times that month for a total of nearly $400. Pruitt only dined alone on one occasion, with his largest party a group of six on July 5. The EPA head and his guests enjoyed items such as $6.35 cheeseburgers, $10.25 cowboy skirt steaks, $11.95 beef kabobs and a $7.15 dessert called "Chocolate Freedom."
WSBTV
