WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are formally calling for Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt to resign or be fired, citing allegations of ethical lapses and questionable spending on travel and security.

New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall said the mounting allegations against Pruitt mean “it is time for his imperial tenure to end.” Udall and other Democrats said they will introduce a formal resolution calling for Pruitt’s ouster “for the good of the American people.”

Many Republicans are standing by EPA chief Scott Pruitt. Democrats say he has "misused taxpayer dollars." Bloomberg

The American Federation of Government Employees, a labor union representing about 8,000 EPA employees, has also called for Pruitt to resign or be fired.

Congressional Republicans are largely standing by Pruitt, making it unlikely the measure will succeed in the Republican-controlled Senate. But Democrats say it’s a sign of their frustration with Pruitt over his lavish spending on security, first-class airline tickets bought at taxpayer expense and his bargain-priced rental of a $50-a-night Capitol Hill condo tied to a lobbyist.

Speaking at a Capitol news conference, Udall said Pruitt has “misused taxpayer dollars while enhancing his own personal perks,” skirted enforcement responsibilities to let polluters off the hook and “subverted scientific processes in a manner we have never seen.”

Meanwhile, the Republican-led House Oversight committee has expanded its ongoing review of Pruitt’s travel spending to include ethical questions surrounding his bargain condo rental. The property is co-owned by the wife of a prominent lobbyist who runs a firm with a roster of fossil fuels clients who have received favorable regulatory rulings from Pruitt’s EPA.

President Trump has defended Pruitt, downplaying the ethical questions swirling around his embattled EPA chief while commending his work at the agency.

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