E&C Democratic Leaders Call for Pruitt’s Resignation

Washington, DC – Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Paul Tonko (D-NY) and full committee Vice Ranking Member Kathy Castor (D-FL) today issued the following statement calling for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to resign:

“EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has become the poster child for the Trump Administration’s shameful culture of corruption.  Pruitt has repeatedly used his position to enrich himself rather than protect the lives of the American people he was appointed to serve.  His actions have jeopardized EPA’s ability to protect human health and the environment, and the only way to regain the American people’s trust in EPA is for Pruitt to resign immediately.

“Today five separate independent investigations are taking place at our request into Pruitt’s actions and misuse of taxpayer funds.  Pruitt is being investigated for his frequent luxury travel, the installation of a $43,000 ‘privacy booth’ in his office, two potential violations of anti-lobbying and propaganda laws, and the abuse of specialized hiring authorities to skirt ethics rules and give massive pay raises to his friends. 

“There is also a laundry list of other corrupt dealings by Pruitt, including a sweetheart condo deal from the wife of an energy lobbyist, a no-bid contract to a political consulting firm digging up dirt on EPA staff, setting up his polluter friends with key EPA positions, allowing EPA political appointees to be paid consultants for secret clients, using a taxpayer-funded 24/7 security detail for personal vacations to Disneyland and the Rose Bowl, and demoting or reassigning staff who dare to question his egregious spending habits.  

“When confronted about these scandals, Pruitt failed to take responsibility for his own actions, blaming his staff, his security detail, his critics – anyone but himself in order to save his own career.  

“Scott Pruitt has lost all credibility and the confidence of the American people – it’s time for him to go.”