The federal government’s ethics watchdog called for an investigation of EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt in a letter made public Monday, citing “extremely concerning reports” about his living accommodations, travel habits and handling of subordinates who disagree with him.
David Apol, the acting director and general counsel of the U.S. Office on Government Ethics, said the numerous ethical questions swirling around Mr. Pruitt could diminish Americans’ faith in their government. The letter is the latest headache for the EPA chief, who faces intense scrutiny from the White House and lawmakers, including a growing number of Republicans who say he is no longer suited to lead the agency.
“The success of our government depends on maintaining the trust of the people we serve. The American public needs to have confidence that ethics violations, as well as the appearance of ethics violations, are investigated and appropriately addressed,” the letter reads in part.
Specifically, the ethics office noted that Mr. Pruitt rented a $50-per-night room in a condo last year from the wife of a prominent oil industry lobbyist who was pushing the EPA to take deregulatory steps beneficial to the fossil-fuels sector.
“He apparently did not seek ethics advice in advance as to whether the terms of the lease were so favorable as to be a gift from the lobbyist,” Mr. Apol wrote.
He also cited Mr. Pruitt’s travel costs — such as first-class plane tickets — and personal security detail, which the administrator took with him on family vacations such as a trip to Disneyland, media reports that Mr. Pruitt has demoted staff who were looking into his spending habits or had raised questions about his ethical conduct warrant an immediate review.
“If true, it is hard to imagine any action that could more effectively undermine an agency’s integrity that punishing or marginalizing employees who strive to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations that safeguard that integrity,” he wrote.
In a speech Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the president to fire Mr. Pruitt — if the president is serious about his pledge to “drain the swamp” in Washington.
“President Trump has stood by administrator Pruitt despite these obvious abuses of the taxpayer’s money and trust,” the New York Democrat said. “Why? Because he likes what he’s doing to unwind critical environmental protections on behalf of powerful industries.”
In an interview with The Washington Times last week, Mr. Pruitt said his enemies are using the controversies to distract from his work implementing President Trump’s agenda.
“I think it’s a focus of distraction. I think it’s noise. It’s been noisy and competitive since Day One, because this agency has been a bastion of liberalism since Day One,” he said. “As we are making progress there and also reducing the regulatory burden, it is infuriating to those that have dominated and controlled the agency for years.”
While the White House has said it is reviewing the ethical questions around Mr. Pruitt, the president has stood by his EPA pick, tweeting that “Scott is doing a great job!”
Meanwhile, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has expanded its own review of Mr. Pruitt’s travel habits to include the condo room rental, The Associated Press reported Monday. The EPA’s inspector general also is reportedly conducting at least five investigations related to Mr. Pruitt.
Other Democrats are pushing for yet another investigation, urging the federal Government Accountability Office to examine whether Mr. Pruitt knew about raises for two of his top aides — raises that the White House initially denied and that the EPA boss said last week he knew nothing about.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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