Scott Pruitt, Poster Boy for Corruption
“News To Make You Furious” seems almost redundant these days. Our little monthly column of atrocity gets buried under the daily stream of illegalities, corruption, and humiliation spewing from the tufted vulgarian and his backup singers. Unfortunately, while our News is designed to illuminate, Trump’s 24/7
cycle of news porn is just designed to obfuscate. This month we’re striking a blow for clarity by ignoring the front man and looking beyond at one of those backup singers. His flamboyant corruption goes hand-in-hand with the horrific policies he implements every day, yet he can continue to “deconstruct the administrative state” because he’s screened by sleazy con men, porn stars, and senile New York mayors. That could mean virtually anyone in the Trump orbit but no, this month we’re looking as closely as we can stand at Scott Pruit, Head of the EPA and just one of the many Posterboys for Corruption that make us all Furious, every day…
Let’s start by pointing out that we didn’t decide to pick on Scott Pruitt because he’s necessarily “the worst” of the Trumpets, but because he’s pretty representative of the caliber of them all. We could have picked Jeff Sessions, Steven Mnuchin, Betsy DeVos, Ryan Zinke, KellyAnne Conway, or virtually any of Trump’s other lackeys and compiled just an atrocious list as Pruitt’s, but Trump didn’t pick any of them because they cared about their agencies or had experience, in fact quite the opposite. From among the dwindling number of people willing to have their names associated with his, Trump uniformly picked people who actively opposed their agency’s missions and whose only qualification was eager pliability to the industries they regulated. Scott Pruitt is an ideal representative of the Trump Team; the ‘poster boy’, if you will. So let’s take a good look at the poster…
Get to know Scott Pruitt
The most in-depth, balanced reporting usually comes from NPR and it’s no different here. We think the facts lead to a pretty dim view of Mr. Pruitt, but to get a fuller view than we’ll give you check out this NPR report from a couple months ago…
Trump Stories: Scott Pruitt, NPR, Apr 2018- 1 hour deep-dive audio
What was he like in Oklahoma?
Scott Pruitt served in the Oklahoma State House for 8 years before becoming Attorney General of Oklahoma in 2010. One of his first acts was to cancel Oklahoma’s Environmental Protection Unit but he didn’t stop there. He went on to sue the EPA 14 times over his 6-year term.
Scott Pruitt’s Web Of Fundraising And Lawsuits, EDF Action
As Oklahoma Attorney General, Scott Pruitt has sued 14 times to block clean air and water safeguards from EPA, the agency he now leads. New research shows that in every suit except one, at least one of Pruitt’s co-litigators contributed to Pruitt’s campaign or a political action committee affiliated with Pruitt – directly, or via an employee or member. Here are the 14 lawsuits…
Donald Trump’s EPA Pick Imperils Science—And Earth, by Eric Pooley in Time, Jan 2017
Pruitt Dismantled Environmental Unit In Oklahoma, by Mike Soraghan in E&E News, Dec 2016
The Environmental Scandal in Scott Pruitt’s Backyard, by Malcolm Burnley on Politico, Dec 2017
Fine, that was Oklahoma. What’s he been like at EPA?
The EPA was founded in 1970 in the Nixon administration because even Nixon realized America needed clean air and water. You can read a detailed history of the EPA here, but suffice it to say that for the next 46 years they’ve protected the nation’s air, water, and natural resources with unsurprising opposition from the industries they were created to regulate. On the bright side, Pruitt’s elevation to EPA head has all but silenced that opposition. On the dark side, it’s because he’s systematically disemboweled (or is happily disemboweling) every tool the EPA uses to regulate.
This Tweet from the Congressman from Flint, Michigan, sums up why Pruitt so richly deserves his PosterBoy for Corruption title.
Worried About A ‘Public Relations Nightmare,’ White House And EPA Aides Worked To Block Contaminated Water Study, by Josh Keefe in Newsweek, May 2018
White House, EPA headed off chemical pollution study, by Annie Snider in Politico, May 2018
“Scott Pruitt’s EPA and the White House sought to block publication of a federal health study on a nationwide water-contamination crisis, after one Trump administration aide warned it would cause a “public relations nightmare,” newly disclosed emails reveal… More than three months later, the draft study remains unpublished, and the HHS unit says it has no scheduled date to release it for public comment. Critics say the delay shows the Trump administration is placing politics ahead of an urgent public health concern — something they had feared would happen after agency leaders like Pruitt started placing industry advocates in charge of issues like chemical safety.”
What EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Promised — And What He’s Done, by Guillen and Holden on Politico, Nov 2017
Nearly A Dozen Reviews Underway Of Scott Pruitt’s Decisions, by Gregory Wallace on CNN, May 10 2018
Trump Administration Seeks to Gut Water Pollution Safeguards, Putting Communities at Risk, by Mary Anne Hitt on Daily Kos, March 2018
That’s just policy disagreement. I’m sure Pruitt has facts to back up his side!
Nope. He doesn’t even pretend that he’s got facts on his side; he just ignores them when they’re inconvenient.
In An Internal Memo, The White House Considered Whether To Simply ‘Ignore’ Federal Climate Research, by Mooney and Eilperin in Washington Post, May 2018
EPA And White House Blocked Release Of Pollution Study That Would Be A ‘Public Relations Nightmare’ by Mark Sumner on Daily Kos, May 2018
EPA Prepares To Ditch Clean Car Rules Over Objections Of Their Own Scientists, by Mark Sumner on Daily Kos, May 2018
EPA Chief Signs Proposal Limiting Use of Science in Policymaking, by Biesecker and Borenstein on AP, Apr 2018
Judge Orders EPA to Produce Science behind Pruitt’s Warming Claims, by Scott Waldman in E&E News, Jun 2018, reprinted in Scientific American
Maybe he just doesn’t believe Lefty ‘science’. That doesn’t make him corrupt!
Obstinately not believing the results of science could make him stupid, but Scott Pruitt is not a stupid man. It’s not that he’s looked into science and disagrees on some rational basis, he’s disingenuously professing not to believe as a justification to implement policies industry’s paid him to implement. THAT makes him corrupt.
Energy Firms in Secretive Alliance With Attorneys General, by Eric Lipton in NY Times, Dec 2014
The letter to the Environmental Protection Agency from Attorney General Scott Pruitt of Oklahoma carried a blunt accusation: Federal regulators were grossly overestimating the amount of air pollution caused by energy companies drilling new natural gas wells in his state. But Mr. Pruitt left out one critical point. The three-page letter was written by lawyers for Devon Energy, one of Oklahoma’s biggest oil and gas companies, and was delivered to him by Devon’s chief of lobbying.
New Chief of EPA Region 9 Has Deep Ties to Industry, by Danielle Venton on KQED Science, May 2018
OOPS! Scott Pruitt Accidentally Admits To Committing A Felony While Talking To Congress, by Farron Cousins on Ring of Fire, May 2018
Look, the government operates in the light of day. People can learn about these abuses and stop them.
Nope. Not if they don’t know about them, and Pruitt makes sure to stay quiet.
EPA Bars Three Reporters From Covering Meeting; One Says She Was Shoved By A Guard, by Paul Farhi in Washington Post, May 2018
You just don’t like Scott Pruitt. That doesn’t make him corrupt!
‘Not liking Scott Pruitt’ is not a reason to call him corrupt. ‘Corruption’ is a reason to not like Scott Pruitt. And it’s a reason shared by many governmental agencies…
A Guide to the Sixteen Federal Investigations Faced by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, on Medium, May 21 2018
There are now sixteen official open investigations on Pruitt’s actions, even after only a year in office. The list below covers investigations in several different agencies, so some issues are repeated. This list was last updated May 21, 2018, and does not include investigations either opened or closed since then.
Inspector General (IG) investigation to explore the frequency, cost, and extent of Pruitt’s travel
IG investigation into Pruitt’s meeting with the National Mining Association
IG investigation into Pruitt’s spending on a secure phone booth worth close to $43,000
IG investigation into Pruitt’s use of Safe Drinking Water Act hiring authority to hire a number of political staff for his personal office.
IG investigation over questionable spending on Pruitt’s security detail, accruing expenses upward of $3 million
IG investigation to audit compliance with Trump’s “2-For-1” order
IG investigation into Pruitt’s conduct in office including Pruitt’s $50-a-night condo rental from a lobbyist and the agency’s ex post facto ethics approval of the arrangement.
IG investigation into Pruitt’s use of security detail on personal trips to Disneyland and the Rose Bowl
IG investigation into Pruitt’s condo rental (Separate from #7)
IG investigation into Pruitt’s use of multiple email accounts:
IG review of EPA political appointee Samantha Dravis’ employment;whether she had reported for work or not while still receiving compensation.
House Oversight Committee investigation into Pruitt’s first class flights and spending
White House internal investigation of Pruitt’s behavior
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) investigation into Pruitt’s soundproof phone booth
GAO investigation into Pruitt’s involvement in a video with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
GAO investigation into Pruitt’s role in dissolving EPA’s Science Advisory Board and appointing a number of industry scientists instead
Not all investigations of Pruitt are in-progress; some are complete…
GAO ruled that Pruitt violated two laws with his $43,000 phone booth
Here’s a Scorecard of the Scott Pruitt Investigations, by Jennifer Dlouhy on Bloomberg, Apr 25 2018- 10 investigations
These 7 Exchanges Between EPA Chief Scott Pruitt And Senators May Hint At Future Investigations, by Tom DiChristopher on CNBC, May 17 2018
EPA’s Scott Pruitt, Subject Of Many Ethics Probes, Plays Defense Before Senate, by Colin Dwyer on NPR, May 2018
OK, but maybe those don’t really sound all that bad…
Agreed. A dry list of investigational subjects doesn’t adequately convey the thickness of the slime cocoon enveloping Scott Pruitt. Here’s a gallery of the appalling specifics behind just some of the investigations…
Documents Detail Threats To EPA’s Scott Pruitt, by Graham Kates on CBS News, May 8 2018
Lobbyist Whose Wife Rented a Condo to Scott Pruitt Failed to Disclose E.P.A. Lobbying, by Eric Lipton in the New York Times, June 2018
Scott Pruitt Had Aide Do Various Personal Tasks, Including Hunt For A Used Trump Hotel Mattress, by Eilperin, Dawsey, and Dennis in Washington Post, Jun 2018
Senate Democrats Demand EPA IG Probe Whether Pruitt Got Improper Gift From Top Aide Who Scouted Apartments, Citing New Agency Emails, by Eilperin and Dennis in Washington Post, May 2018
Emails Contradict Pruitt’s Accounts Of Events Under Ethics Investigations, by Knickmeyer and Biesecker, AP, May 2018
Scott Pruitt Enlisted An EPA Aide To Help His Wife Find A Job — With Chick-Fil-A, by Eilperin, Dennis, and Dawsey in Washington Post, Jun 2018
EPA Memo Claims ‘Lashing Out From Passengers’ Prompted Pruitt’s First-Class Flights, by Stephanie Ebbs on ABCNews, May 2018
C’mon, that’s just one guy. What can he actually do?
He can set an example for policy and ethics throughout the EPA. Unfortunately, he does.
2 Top Pruitt Aides Leave EPA Amid Ethics Investigations, by AP on NBCNews, May 2018
This is all just partisan cherrypicking! Bet Republicans would disagree!
Nope. Despite the evidence, Republicans AREN’T all ideologically blinded…
Republican Senator Calls Pruitt ‘as Swampy as You Get’, by Dlouhy and Parker on Bloomberg, June 2018
Former Republican EPA Heads Slam Pruitt’s Latest Moves, by Amy Harder on Axios, Apr 2018
Pruitt Slammed As Unfit To Lead EPA By 2 GOP Senators; One Calls Him ‘Chucklehead’, by Joseph Weber on FOX News, Apr 2018
If he’s all that bad, why is he still there?
Because he’s ridiculously effective. The people who bought Pruitt’s career are getting exactly what they paid for, and he’ll stay there as long as he keeps bringing home the bacon for them.
3 Environmental Regulations Scott Pruitt Has Been Dismantling Amid His Scandals, by Umair Irfan on Vox, Apr 2018
Trump Is Breaking The Environment Beyond Repair, by Linda Bilmes in Boston Globe, Feb 2018
