STATEMENT: Bicameral Letter Proves Pruitt Must Go

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, in a bicameral letter sent to embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, members of Congress detailed meetings between Kevin Chmielewski and congressional investigators. Chmielewski, a Trump loyalist and former campaign staffer Trump has described as “a champ”, had served as the E.P.A.’s deputy chief of staff until he was removed from his post after raising objections to Pruitt’s repeated ethics violations and abuse of taxpayer funds.

According to Chmielewski, Pruitt would schedule unnecessary weekend trips to his home state of Oklahoma, instructed his staff to “find me something to do” so he had justification for international travel, stayed in non U.S. embassy recommended luxury hotels adding to security costs, and booked travel in order to accrue more airline miles instead of using the federal government’s contract carrier. Chmielewski also detailed how Pruitt assigned one of his aides, Millan Hupp, also a recipient of the large raises Pruitt lied about on Fox news, to act as his “personal real estate representative, spending weeks improperly using federal government resources and time.”  

Polling was released Thursday showing that Pruitt’s public approval rating has fallen to 29 percent.

In response, Sierra Club Federal Policy Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:

“Even Trump loyalists have now turned on Scott Pruitt and his mounting list of scandals and embarrassments. From abusing taxpayer funds for his desire to live lavishly, to giving orders that go against Trump’s wishes, it’s clear that Pruitt has spent the past year pretending and directing others as if he were the president. Unfortunately for “president” Pruitt, he’s not in charge, and his exposure as the dirtiest swamp creature in DC has made it clear to those both inside and outside of the White House that he must go.”