EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Resigns Amid 14 Federal Investigations

Timeline Eventconfirmed
environmental-destructionregulatory-capturecorruptionethics-violationepamisuse-of-fundscabinet-scandal
Regulatory CaptureLegislative CaptureFinancial CaptureExecutive Power Expansion
Actors:Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Wheeler
2018-07-05 · Washington, D.C. · 1 min read

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned facing at least 14 federal investigations into corruption, ethics violations, and misuse of taxpayer funds. Scandals included: spending $43,000 on a soundproof phone booth, first-class travel costing over $100,000, using staff for personal errands like finding his wife a job and getting a Chick-fil-A franchise, renting a Capitol Hill condo from a lobbyist for $50/night, 24/7 security detail costing $3 million, and bypassing White House to give raises to favored aides. As Oklahoma AG, Pruitt had sued the EPA 14 times before leading it, epitomizing regulatory capture.

Sources

  1. Scott Pruitt Resigns as E.P.A. ChiefThe New York Times(2018-07-05)
  2. Scott Pruitt resigns as EPA administratorCNN(2018-07-05)
  3. All of Scott Pruitt's Scandals, ExplainedThe Atlantic(2018-07-05)