Scott Pruitt’s long list of personal indulgences, paranoid antics, and blatant corruption is finally catching up to him. Not even the White House believes the Environmental Protection Agency head’s claims that big raises for two of his Oklahoma buddies were slipped through, over the objection of the White House, without his knowledge.
Campaign Action
EPA ethics officials didn’t even know about Pruitt’s condo until it hit the news.
Despite Pruitt’s insistence that EPA career officials approved his 2017 living arrangement, which went from late February to early August, agency ethics officials weren’t aware of it until news reports late last week.
One of Pruitt’s top aides is resigning.
Samantha Dravis, the associate administrator of the EPA's office of policy, is considered to be one of the aides closest to Pruitt and has been responsible in the last year for carrying out much of the agency's deregulation policy that has been so controversial.
The White House isn’t happy about Pruitt’s disastrous appearance on Fox.
White House officials told Pruitt not to do interviews. He did anyway. Then John Kelly called and said no more -- and that his media tour wasn't helping. Pruitt forged ahead. Interviews seen by White House as not credible, particularly on staff pay raises.
Scott Pruitt was under the impression that since tossing one scandal on top of another worked for Donald Trump, it would work for him. But America is tired of this trick. And of Pruitt.
No one believes Pruitt’s ludicrous claims about the pay raises.
Despite Pruitt’s denials, Trump’s top aides are convinced he played a key role in authorizing massive raises last month for two staffers that joined him at EPA from Oklahoma.
The previous effusive praise from the White House has stopped.
The White House declined for the second straight day to express confidence that Pruitt will remain on the job. “I can't speak to the future of Scott Pruitt," deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told Fox News in an interview Thursday. "I can just talk about where we are now and that is that the White House is aware of these reports."
Despite everything, Scott Pruitt has huge support from the right. Big oil, big gas, big coal, and big agriculture love Pruitt for his willingness to ignore science and health issues and approve everything from rollbacks of emissions laws to keeping dangerous pesticides on the market.
Pruitt has already gotten away with incredible personal expenses, both in his travels and at the EPA. Republicans are going to let him get away with anything, so long as he’s a favorite of the companies that put money in their pockets. The only way to get rid of Pruitt is to do it now.
Call. Write. Email. Fax. Push. (202) 224-3121