DNC: Past Time for Pruitt to Resign
April 3, 2018
In response to Scott Pruitt rolling back fuel emissions standards and his continued corruption and abuse of taxpayer dollars, DNC spokesperson Daniel Wessel released the following statement:
“It is long past time for Scott Pruitt’s tenure to end. From cozying up to industry insiders, to wasting taxpayer dollars and breaking ethical norms, Americans cannot trust Pruitt and he should resign immediately.
“At the same time, Pruitt has led the Trump administration’s reckless dismantling of Obama-era protections, favoring industry and special interests over the environment he is supposed to protect. Pruitt’s latest move to roll back greenhouse gas and fuel emission standards will not only harm the environment but will put people’s health at risk. Enough is enough.”
Here’s what you may have missed from the past 24 hours alone:
Trump’s EPA considered renting a private jet for Scott Pruitt at a taxpayer cost of roughly $100,000 a month.
Washington Post: “Aides to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt last year considered leasing a private jet on a month-to-month basis to accommodate his travel needs, according to current and former agency officials. … Pruitt’s aides had contacted NetJets, a well-known firm that leases such planes, and received a cost estimate of roughly $100,000 a month, the officials said.”
The EPA signed off on a project for an energy company represented by the firm of the lobbyist Pruitt accepted a deal from to rent a Washington condo at far below market value.
New York Times: “The Environmental Protection Agency signed off last March on a Canadian energy company’s pipeline-expansion plan at the same time that the E.P.A. chief, Scott Pruitt, was renting a condominium linked to the energy company’s powerful Washington lobbying firm.”
The lobbyist-owned townhouse Scott Pruitt rented was also used as a Republican fundraising hub.
Daily Beast: “The lobbyist-owned townhouse that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt rented for relatively small nightly sums also served as a hub for Republican lawmakers hoping to raise money for their congressional campaigns.”
Pruitt took advantage of an obscure provision to give raises to two of his closest aides.
The Atlantic: “A provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act allows the EPA administrator to hire up to 30 people into the agency, without White House or congressional approval. … After the White House rejected their request, Pruitt’s team studied the particulars of the Safe Drinking Water provision, according to the source with direct knowledge of these events. By reappointing Greenwalt and Hupp under this authority, they learned, Pruitt could exercise total control over their contracts and grant the raises on his own.”
Editorial boards agree: enough is enough.
Los Angeles Times Editorial: “The EPA's Scott Pruitt has to go”
Washington Post Editorial: “A swamp monster is running the EPA”
Chicago Tribune Editorial: “Under Scott Pruitt’s leadership, EPA stands for Ethical Problems Abound. Or is it Ethical Practices Avoided? … If he can’t behave ethically, he shouldn’t be in government service.”