Scott Pruitt continues to stonewall the Senate by refusing to release public documents and emails.
Here are five things we could learn if he released his email.
-- We could learn exactly how close the relationship is between Pruitt and the Industry. We already know he cuts and pastes their content into official documents, but how often does he do that? Maybe it's in the emails he doesn't want us to see.
-- We could learn exactly what he thinks is pollution. We already know he doesn't consider mercury a serious public health threat or know about the dangers of lead toxicity, particularly for children. We already know he doesn't think carbon pollution from power plants is a threat. What other dangerous pollution does he think is okay for people to breathe, eat and drink? Maybe it's in the emails he doesn't want us to see.
-- We could learn about how he raised political contributions from the industry he oversees. We know he mislead the Senate with his evasive answers to questions about his fundraising practices. And we've learned that his staff directly solicited contributions on his behalf. Did Pruitt use his official office to raise political contributions from the oil and gas industry? Maybe it's in the emails he doesn't want us to see.
-- We could learn about his conflicts of interest. We already know he's filed multiple lawsuits against public health protections on behalf of his political supporters in the oil and gas industry. Maybe we find evidence of Pruitt standing up for sick kids and against the polluters? Or, maybe we don't. Maybe it's in the emails he doesn't want us to see.
-- We could learn about what else Pruitt is hiding. Pruitt doesn't want more information about his record of using his taxpayer funded office as a law firm for the polluters. What else has he done? Has he schemed additional lawsuits on their behalf? Maybe it's all in the emails he doesn't want us to see.
The Senate shouldn't confirm someone who is blatantly hiding something from the American people. The way Pruitt's stalling, there's likely evidence of one or all of these in these documents. Senator Barrasso is forcing the nomination through the process so that this information never comes to light. He's an accomplice in the effort to suppress this information and keep it from the American public. Pruitt was fine with waiting more than two years to deliver these documents — surely he can wait a little longer so the Senate can ensure he will work in the public interest.