Today, according to a letter from EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins, Scott Pruitt had requested round the clock security before he was sworn in as EPA Administrator. His 24/7 security detail began on his first day in office. The request did not go through Office of the Inspector General (OIG) but instead the EPA Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics, and Training.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is debuting the Office of Continuous Improvement, a new office tasked with making the agency more "lean." According to the EPA’s webpage on this, the office will result in “superior customer service.”
Even Scott Pruitt’s closest ally, Senator Jim Inhofe, knows Scott Pruitt’s ethical quandaries are deeply unpopular. Today, in an interview with Bloomberg News, Inhofe said he believes Pruitt “might get to the point where he doesn’t want to endure anymore” scrutiny over his abuse of taxpayer dollars. Inhofe then said Pruitt “could find something else to do that would be a lot less combative."
With new information breaking daily on embattled Scott Pruitt’s countless scandals, White House staff are fed up with trying to weather the Pruitt storm. According to the New York Times, White House staff are continuing to urge Donald Trump to fire Pruitt, calling Pruitt’s scandals “a bottomless pit.”
According to reporting by Axios, Donald Trump isn’t happy about all of the negative press Scott Pruitt’s been getting. A source close to Trump told Axios that the president raised the fact that a member of Pruitt’s press team has sought to sell negative stories about Interior secretary Ryan Zinke in conversation and said, "That's not good."
Today, as more and more of Scott Pruitt’s corruption scandals pile up and more and more high-level EPA staff flee Pruitt’s sinking ship, the Atlantic reports that Pruitt’s press staff actually tried to plant stories about Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s own ethical issues, “trying to take the heat off” Pruitt.
Yesterday, news broke by the Washington Post and New York Times shows that EPA administrator Scott Pruitt isn’t just friendly with lobbyists like his landlord - in fact, his expensive trips to Morocco and Italy were planned and accompanied by lobbyists Richard Smotkin and Leonard Leo. Here’s what we know so far:
Yesterday, news broke by the Washington Post and New York Times shows that EPA administrator Scott Pruitt isn’t just friendly with lobbyists like his landlord - in fact, his expensive trips to Morocco and Italy were planned and accompanied by lobbyists Richard Smotkin and Leonard Leo. Here’s what we know so far:
Scott Pruitt lied to Congress about retaliating against EPA staff who tried to ensure his use of taxpayer dollars is transparent, accountable, and justified, according to an ABC News interview with a Trump loyalist forced out at EPA. This news comes as Pruitt’s top political appointees and aides - including the scandal-ridden security chief and the Superfund task force head who was banned from the banking industry - are fleeing the EPA.
Yesterday, after saying he had nothing to hide, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt failed to answer questions, caught himself in two lies, and proved he’s been unable to do his job. Even his former Republican allies are no long defending him. To boot, 58-percent of Americans think Donald Trump should fire Pruitt.
After months of preparation, Scott Pruitt failed to answer for his near endless scandals and illegal actions. Now, even his staunchest supporters are reportedly questioning whether Pruitt’s baggage is even worth it. He had months to prepare for today, and he even turned down overtures from the White House. When it came time to face Congress, Scott Pruitt was unable to answer Republicans, let alone Democrats’ questions. Instead he lied, he tried to deflect the blame, and he obfuscated. But at no point did Scott Pruitt ever answer for the fact that he’s abused taxpayer funds, that he’s ignored Donald Trump’s orders, and that he’s failed to uphold the public’s trust.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Scott Pruitt faced harsh and at times hostile questions from both Democrats and Republicans while defending his ethical transgressions and illegal actions at the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing. During the hearing, Pruitt admitted to giving his chief of staff the greenlight to give massive raises to his top aides. This contradicts Pruitt’s previous statements and Fox News interview where he denied any knowledge of the raises. Pruitt was also forced to answer questions about his sweetheart condo deal owned by the spouse of a fossil fuel lobbyist. Pruitt has repeatedly claimed that he paid market rate for the condo, even telling Trump that he has. However, the Daily Beast reported today that Pruitt’s lobbyist landlord charge others twice as much -- $100 a night -- just to hold events at the condo.