Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- After swift and immediate outrage over a Mother Jones report that Scott Pruitt spent $120,000 of taxpayer funds on a partisan political consultant, the Washington Post is reporting that EPA is canceling its contract with Definers Public Affairs. The New York Times later reported that an attorney working with the Republican consulting firm, America Rising, which is affiliated with Definers, has been filing FOIA requests on nearly every EPA staffer that speaks about the need to protect human health and the environment -- the Agency’s mission.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Scott Pruitt has generated countless embarrassing and dangerous scandals in less than one year, and public outrage is now at a boiling point. The EPA is not a launching pad for elected office or a political operation to cover Scott Pruitt’s back; it exists to protect the American people. The only New Year’s resolution Pruitt should be making is to fulfill the duties of the job he’s been tapped to do. If he can’t, he must resign.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.