White House told scandal-plagued EPA chief Scott Pruitt to stop inviting himself in for lunch after repeated visits to exclusive West Wing dining room

  •  Pruitt regularly uses the restaurant in the basement of the West Wing
  •  Cabinet heads warned not to treat it as their 'personal dining hall'
  •  Pruitt advised the room is not for everyday use
  • The EPA is a few blocks away, and Pruitt frequently dined on skirt steak, chicken, and salad
  • Pruitt also had an aide arrange a call with a CEO to try to get his wife a Chick-fil-A franchise
  • It is just the latest scandal to buffet the embattled anti-regulation Oklahoman 
  • There are more than a dozen investigations involving Pruitt 
  • President Trump told Pruitt Wednesday 'EPA is doing really, really well' 

The White House delivered an awkward message to embattled EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, who has become a regular at the White House mess: please think about eating somewhere else once in a while.

The cafeteria in the basement of the West Wing is a high-status – and prime location – in which to get a chicken salad or a fruit plate, while impressing a guest or bumping into a first family member.

Pruitt, who is facing a slew of scandals over multi-million security costs, first class tax-payer funded tickets, use of emergency sirens, a discount lease from a lobbyist's wife, close ties with Oklahoma lobbyists, use of staff for errands, and trying to get a chicken franchise – has become a regular there.

But Pruitt appeared to have overstayed his welcome, Politico reported. 

LET'S DO LUNCH; EPA chief Scott Pruitt had to be warned not to treat the White House mess like his personal dining room, according to a stunning new report

LET'S DO LUNCH; EPA chief Scott Pruitt had to be warned not to treat the White House mess like his personal dining room, according to a stunning new report

A person close to Pruitt said the message delivered was: 'We love having Mr. Pruitt, but it's not meant for everyday use.'   

It is just the latest scandal to buffet the embattled anti-regulation Oklahoman 

Due to Pruitt's a White House cabinet affairs staffer informed agency heads that cabinet heads 'shouldn't treat the mess as their personal dining hall,' according to the report, citing three people with knowledge of it.   

Cabinet members like Pruitt are expected to use the mess, which is operated by the Navy, only occasionally. It seats 50 and has just a dozen tables, which also accommodate the senior White House staff. 

According to the White House, the tables are 'adorned with elegant table linens, fresh flowers, and official White House china. It is decorated with wood paneling, nautical trim, and ship paintings.'

Pruitt, whose agency is near the White House, had to be told recently not to use the famous Navy Mess as his personal dining room

WE'RE ALL BOOKED UP UNFORTUNATELY: Pruitt, whose agency is nearby, had to be informed the mess is only for their occasional use 

PLEASE COME AGAIN NOT TOO SOON: The White House mess is a favorite locale for senior White House staff

PLEASE COME AGAIN NOT TOO SOON: The White House mess is a favorite locale for senior White House staff

It also offers a pretty good deal. on dishes ranging form fried chicken to greek salad.

A billing statement obtained by the publication shows purchases of french yogurt, cowboy skirt steak, a cheese omelette, hamburgers, and other dishes. 

Table reservations are available to senior White House officials including commissioned officers, Cabinet secretaries, and their guests. There is a nearby take-out window open to all White House staff members for carryout service. 

Other cabinet members also have been spotted there – including Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Energy secretary Rick Perry.

The popcorn / chicken with waffles goes for $11.15, and an order of fries cost just $1.81.  

 Trump on Wednesday praised Pruitt at an event on hurricane preparedness.

'EPA is doing really, really well,' Trump said at an event at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters attended by Pruitt. 'Somebody has to say that about you a little bit, you know that, Scott.'

The White House and EPA denied comment on the cafeteria story.  

IF YOU LIKE IT HERE, YOU WOULD  LOVE LE DIPLOMATE: The menu features skirt steak and french fries, dishes that also are available at a French restaurant Pruitt reportedly visited after asking his detail to use sirens

IF YOU LIKE IT HERE, YOU WOULD LOVE LE DIPLOMATE: The menu features skirt steak and french fries, dishes that also are available at a French restaurant Pruitt reportedly visited after asking his detail to use sirens

DO YOU HAVE A RESERAVATION? According to a report, Pruitt has brought Oklahoma friends there, and also dined with Ivanka Trump

DO YOU HAVE A RESERAVATION? According to a report, Pruitt has brought Oklahoma friends there, and also dined with Ivanka Trump

TABLE FOR ONE PLEASE: Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), speaks during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. Pruitt faced intense criticism in his first Senate testimony since a crush of ethical allegations that have put his job in jeopardy 

TABLE FOR ONE PLEASE: Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), speaks during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. Pruitt faced intense criticism in his first Senate testimony since a crush of ethical allegations that have put his job in jeopardy 

Trump has repeatedly expressed his support for Pruitt, who has vigorously pursued Trump's campaign promises to reduce environmental regulations and increase fossil fuel production.

But there have been mounting ethics concerns about Pruitt. The EPA chief has been criticized for paying below-market rent on a lobbyist-owned condominium, for his routine use of first-class travel, excessive spending on security and costly office renovations.

More than 100 lawmakers, including several Republicans, have called for Pruitt to step down.

This week, congressional Democrats released the transcript of an interview in which Millan Hupp, a close aide to Pruitt, said the administrator had her carry out personal errands, including researching the purchase of an old mattress from the Trump International Hotel.

Hupp and another close aide, Sarah Greenwalt, resigned on Wednesday, the EPA said. Hupp's resignation was first reported by The Atlantic magazine.

Pruitt in a statement called Hupp a 'valued member of the EPA team from day one.'

The Washington Post reported this week that Pruitt asked his EPA scheduler to arrange a meeting last year with the chief executive of the restaurant chain Chick-fil-A.

Pruitt eventually spoke with the company's legal department about his wife, Marilyn, opening a franchise, the Post reported.

A representative for Chick-fil-A said Pruitt's wife started but did not complete a franchisee application, according to the newspaper.

Asked about the report, Pruitt did not directly comment on whether he sought a franchise for his wife, according to an excerpt of an interview with Nexstar Media Group posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

'Chick-fil-A is a franchise of faith and it's one of the best in the country, and so, that's something we were very excited about, so, and we need more of them in Tulsa and we need more of them across the country,' said Pruitt, a former Oklahoma attorney general.

The company and the EPA did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

'Scott Pruitt cannot shift the blame for his scandals to his aides or career EPA employees, said Democratic Representative Don Beyer, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee. 'The corruption begins with Scott Pruitt, and it must end with his resignation or firing.')