Another day, another story of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt using his office to financially benefit himself and his family. The New York Times recently reported Pruitt had EPA staff reach out to the CEO of fast food company Chick-fil-A to lobby for his wife to get a franchise. The Washington Post reported getting the nod for a Chick-fil-A franchise is harder than getting into Harvard. The fast food chain only approves around 115 new franchises a year out of 40,000 applicants. It seems crystal clear Pruitt was using his position as a member of the president’s cabinet to influence this process. The average Chick-fil-A franchise rakes in $4 million per year. That would’ve been a nice, endless cash flow for the Pruitts.
When the franchise fell through (the CEO had enough sense to have Chick-fil-A’s legal department respond instead of taking Pruitt’s call), Pruitt again turned to his EPA staff and his trusted donors from the swamp to find his wife a lucrative D.C.-based job. And they delivered! From the Washington Post:
The job hunt included Pruitt’s approaching wealthy party supporters and conservative figures with ties to the Trump administration. He enlisted Samantha Dravis, then serving as associate administrator for the EPA’s Office of Policy, to line up work for his wife. [...]
A spokesman for the Judicial Crisis Network confirmed Tuesday that it employed the onetime school nurse “temporarily as an independent contractor,” but it did not disclose via email how long she worked there or what she was paid. The spokesman said the position came about after the group received her résumé from Leonard Leo, executive vice president of the Federalist Society. The two organizations have financial ties.
Now, what does the Judicial Crisis Network need with a “onetime school nurse” in Washington, DC? Folks, this is the definition of corruption. From day one, Scott Pruitt has been using his position to enrich himself, taking lavish taxpayer-funded vacations, private jets, first-class travel, nearly free rent in a high-end D.C. condo owned by lobbyists. The corruption is unprecedented. And yet, it continues. Why? Because the fish rots from the head. As long as Donald Trump and his family are using their position to enrich themselves, why shouldn’t Trump’s cabinet cash in as well? Bottom line is absolutely none of this will change until the people demand it and Congress begins to act as the check and balance they were intended. Period. Full stop.
Find a 2018 Democratic candidate and get to work registering voters, knocking on doors, donating and phone-banking. It’s all on the line.