STATEMENT: Top Aide to Pruitt and Wheeler Moved Polluter FOIAs to the Front of the Line

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Associated Press reported this morning that EPA Chief of Staff Ryan Jackson admitted in testimony before Congress to expediting a FOIA submission at the request of a corporate polluter lobbyist. Meanwhile, Bloomberg also reported that EPA “manipulated” its handling of FOIA requests to benefit Scott Pruitt. The incident was first exposed as a result of the Sierra Club’s ongoing FOIA litigation and production, with the original emails online here.

The Sierra Club’s FOIA litigation has produced tens of thousands of pages of documents, helping result in scores of stories about corruption, self-dealing, secrecy, and more at EPA under Scott Pruitt, Jackson, and Wheeler.

In Response, Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce Released the Following Statement:

“The Freedom of Information Act is a law meant to provide transparency so that the public can see how our government works, not an opportunity to do favors for corporate polluters and play politics. It’s clear that Scott Pruitt, Andrew Wheeler, and Ryan Jackson are scared of legally and ethically implementing transparency laws because they have so much to hide.

“Ryan Jackson helped Scott Pruitt do his dirty work to put corporate polluters first, and now he's working hand-in-glove with Andrew Wheeler to do the exact same thing. Nothing is actually changing at the EPA as Wheeler and Jackson are already showing they will continue Pruitt's unethical legacy instead of protecting public health and the environment.”