EPA watchdog expands audit of administrator's travel: memoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s watchdog is expanding a review of administrator Scott Pruitt’s frequent travels to his home state Oklahoma to include more recent trips taken on military and charter flights, according to a memo seen on Friday. The Office of Inspector General had been investigating the “frequency, cost and extent” of Pruitt’s travels to Oklahoma through July 31, and will now expand the “active audit” to include all travel, including the use of private and military flights he has taken up to Sept. 30. The expanded review coincides with heightened scrutiny surrounding the travels of President Donald Trump’s cabinet officials with reports that some have spent tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-commercial flights. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned last week over his use of costly private charter planes for government business. The Interior Department’s own inspector general last week confirmed it also opened an investigation into travels by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke after receiving numerous complaints about his use of three chartered flights, including one on an aircraft owned by an oil and gas executive. Energy Secretary Rick Perry also used a private charter flight last week, Reuters reported. The flight cost $11,000, according to travel records provided to Reuters by the Department of Energy. The records show that Perry took four non-commercial flights between May and last week totaling nearly $56,000 of taxpayer money. Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hayes said in a statement on Friday that in the “rare instances where government-owned or chartered aircraft have been used, trips were pre-approved by an Ethics officer within the Office of General Counsel.” Separately, a spokeswoman for the Energy Department’s inspector general office could not confirm nor deny whether it is investigating his travels. In addition to investigating the frequency of Pruitt’s travels, the watchdog is also evaluating whether Pruitt followed EPA travel protocols and whether “EPA’s policies and procedures are sufficiently designed to prevent fraud, waste and abuse with the Administrator’s travel.” Pruitt has taken at least four flights that were either not commercial or military-chartered since mid-February, according to government records. EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said the four non-commercial flights had been cleared by EPA lawyers. Pruitt had also traveled to Oklahoma on at least 43 of the 92 days of March, April and May, according to copies of his travel records obtained by the Environmental Integrity Project watchdog and reviewed by Reuters last month, which prompted the initial investigation. politicsNews
epa watchdog expands audit administrator travel memowashington reuters the environmental protection agency watchdog expanding review administrator scott print frequent travels home state oklahoma include recent trips taken military charter flights according memo seen friday the office inspector general investigating frequency cost extent print travels oklahoma july expand active audit include travel including use private military flights taken the expanded review coincides heightened scrutiny surrounding travels president donald trump cabinet officials reports spent tens hundreds thousands dollars flights health human services secretary tom price resigned last week use costly private charter planes government business the interior department inspector general last week confirmed also opened investigation travels interior secretary ryan zine receiving numerous complaints use three chartered flights including one aircraft owned oil gas executive energy secretary rick perry also used private charter flight last week reuters reported the flight cost according travel records provided reuters department energy the records show perry took four flights may last week totaling nearly taxpayer money department spokeswoman shaylyn hayes said statement friday rare instances chartered aircraft used trips ethics officer within office general separately spokeswoman energy department inspector general office could confirm deny whether investigating travels in addition investigating frequency print travels watchdog also evaluating whether print followed epa travel protocols whether epa policies procedures sufficiently designed prevent fraud waste abuse administrator print taken least four flights either commercial since according government records epa spokeswoman liz woman said four flights cleared epa lawyers print also traveled oklahoma least days march april may according copies travel records obtained environmental integrity project watchdog reviewed reuters last month prompted initial investigation politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: EPA watchdog expands audit of administrator's travel: memoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s watchdog is expanding a review of administrator Scott Pruitt’s frequent travels to his home state Oklahoma to include more recent trips taken on military and charter flights, according to a memo seen on Friday. The Office of Inspector General had been investigating the “frequency, cost and extent” of Pruitt’s travels to Oklahoma through July 31, and will now expand the “active audit” to include all travel, including the use of private and military flights he has taken up to Sept. 30. The expanded review coincides with heightened scrutiny surrounding the travels of President Donald Trump’s cabinet officials with reports that some have spent tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars for non-commercial flights. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned last week over his use of costly private charter planes for government business. The Interior Department’s own inspector general last week confirmed it also opened an investigation into travels by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke after receiving numerous complaints about his use of three chartered flights, including one on an aircraft owned by an oil and gas executive. Energy Secretary Rick Perry also used a private charter flight last week, Reuters reported. The flight cost $11,000, according to travel records provided to Reuters by the Department of Energy. The records show that Perry took four non-commercial flights between May and last week totaling nearly $56,000 of taxpayer money. Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hayes said in a statement on Friday that in the “rare instances where government-owned or chartered aircraft have been used, trips were pre-approved by an Ethics officer within the Office of General Counsel.” Separately, a spokeswoman for the Energy Department’s inspector general office could not confirm nor deny whether it is investigating his travels. In addition to investigating the frequency of Pruitt’s travels, the watchdog is also evaluating whether Pruitt followed EPA travel protocols and whether “EPA’s policies and procedures are sufficiently designed to prevent fraud, waste and abuse with the Administrator’s travel.” Pruitt has taken at least four flights that were either not commercial or military-chartered since mid-February, according to government records. EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said the four non-commercial flights had been cleared by EPA lawyers. Pruitt had also traveled to Oklahoma on at least 43 of the 92 days of March, April and May, according to copies of his travel records obtained by the Environmental Integrity Project watchdog and reviewed by Reuters last month, which prompted the initial investigation. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: epa watchdog expands audit administrator travel memowashington reuters the environmental protection agency watchdog expanding review administrator scott print frequent travels home state oklahoma include recent trips taken military charter flights according memo seen friday the office inspector general investigating frequency cost extent print travels oklahoma july expand active audit include travel including use private military flights taken the expanded review coincides heightened scrutiny surrounding travels president donald trump cabinet officials reports spent tens hundreds thousands dollars flights health human services secretary tom price resigned last week use costly private charter planes government business the interior department inspector general last week confirmed also opened investigation travels interior secretary ryan zine receiving numerous complaints use three chartered flights including one aircraft owned oil gas executive energy secretary rick perry also used private charter flight last week reuters reported the flight cost according travel records provided reuters department energy the records show perry took four flights may last week totaling nearly taxpayer money department spokeswoman shaylyn hayes said statement friday rare instances chartered aircraft used trips ethics officer within office general separately spokeswoman energy department inspector general office could confirm deny whether investigating travels in addition investigating frequency print travels watchdog also evaluating whether print followed epa travel protocols whether epa policies procedures sufficiently designed prevent fraud waste abuse administrator print taken least four flights either commercial since according government records epa spokeswoman liz woman said four flights cleared epa lawyers print also traveled oklahoma least days march april may according copies travel records obtained environmental integrity project watchdog reviewed reuters last month prompted initial investigation politicsnews