The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revealed that Administrator Scott Pruitt faced profanities and confrontations while traveling after controversy surrounding his use of first-class flights.

The director of the EPA's Office of Criminal Enforcement, Henry Barnet, told Politico that Pruitt was "approached in the airport numerous times" and had profanities "yelled at him" during his travels. [...]

The EPA's defense of the administrator's traveling habits comes after The Washington Post reported Sunday that Pruitt frequently flies first class on official trips, costing taxpayers thousands of dollars.

CBS News reported late Tuesday that Pruitt flew business class in June on an Emirates flight back from Italy after obtaining a waiver to rules that require official travel to be on United States-flagged airlines.

On Tuesday, Pruitt blamed his first-class flying on interactions that have "not been the best."

He told the New Hampshire Union Leader that his security detail dictated his travel choices, and he played no role in the decisions.