Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt still has ethical questions to answer over his renting of a Washington, DC, apartment last year that was owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist, according to a bombshell memo and new comments from department ethics officials.
Things have gone from bad to worse to even worse for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. A new Washington Post report cites two sources suggesting Pruitt just gave an at-best-misleading denial of his role in granting two aides raises.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told President Donald Trump last week that he is convinced Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt needs to step down after a series of negative reports about his spending habits and management style, a White House official said Friday.
Scott Pruitt is facing mounting pressure to resign from the Environmental Protection Agency amid intensifying scrutiny of his alleged ethical lapses.
On Tuesday, two Republican House members joined Democrats and environmental groups in calling for Pruitt to step down. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that “the president thinks that he’s done a good job, particularly on the deregulation front,” but added that “we take this seriously and we’re looking into it.” On Thursday, Hogan Gidley, a deputy White House press secretary, said on Fox News that he “can’t speak to the future of Scott Pruitt.”
The two main defenses of Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt’s questionable condo lease both suffered significant blows late Wednesday. And, making matters worse, President Trump doesn’t sound particularly committed to Pruitt.
Since his $50-per-night, vacation-style rental agreement with the wife of an energy lobbyist was publicized, Pruitt’s defenders have focused on two things:
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is “to protect human health and the environment.” Disgraced EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt tried his best to undermine this vital mission by choosing to slash critical health protections and let corporate polluters off the hook. Now that Pruitt’s been booted, we need an EPA administrator dedicated to undoing his toxic agenda and restoring the agency to its core mission. Progress is possible and necessary – but another corporate crony or climate skeptic will not get us there.
Scott Pruitt is gone, but the fight is just beginning. We need an EPA administrator who puts our health and environment first, period. Any alternative is unacceptable.
