This weekend, as Scott Pruitt’s scandals continued to grow and the government’s top ethics official called on the EPA to address his potential violations, Trump defended his corrupt cabinet secretary. It’s clear Trump does not care about ethics, and that his EPA is beholden to the lobbyists and special interests he once derided.

Despite his endless scandals, Trump is sticking by Scott Pruitt because of his campaign to aggressively roll back environmental protections.

Vox: “President Donald Trump defended embattled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt on Twitter over the weekend, saying he is doing a fine job — in spite of mounting ethics concerns surrounding the former Oklahoma state attorney general. It makes it seem like like as long as you’re rolling back environmental protections aggressively enough, Trump will stick by you.”

Pruitt is beholden to the industry he regulates – he held 25-times more meetings with industry representatives than environmental advocates during his first 7 months in office.

Reuters: “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt held 25-times more meetings with industry representatives than environmental advocates during his first seven months in office, according to a Reuters analysis of his schedule, reflecting the agency’s pro-business approach under his tenure.”

New Yorker: “In his first year at the E.P.A., he has proposed repealing or delaying more than thirty significant environmental rules. In February, when the White House announced its intention to reduce the E.P.A.’s budget by twenty-five per cent—one of the largest cuts for any federal agency—Pruitt made no objections. His schedule is dominated by meetings and speaking engagements with representatives of the industries he regulates. He has met only a handful of times with environmental groups.”