EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Resigns After Months of Controversy and Corruption

After months of criticism and several controversies surrounding his conduct in office and use of power, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has resigned from his position.

The decision should come as no surprise, as Pruitt’s recent interactions with the press have been filled with bold confrontations regarding his management of the position.

Pruitt has stated that recent controversies caused for people to “attack” both himself and his family, which took a “sizable toll on all of us.”

His resignation was first announced by President Donald Trump, who stated on Twitter:

“I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Within the Agency, Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this.”

Trump has never hesitated to praise Pruitt, despite the controversies and criticism leveled at the former EPA chief. On Thursday, before entering Air Force One, Trump stated:

“There was no final straw. Scott is a terrific guy. He came to me and he said, ‘Look, I have such great confidence in the administration. I don’t want to be a distraction.”

One of Pruitt’s latest scandals followed CNN investigation’s of his meetings with top EPA officials. CNN created a public calendar of his actions and meetings which differed from his actual schedule. Pruitt purposefully hid meetings with businesses which could have caused public controversy. Some congressman quickly reacted to the network’s report, and have called for Pruitt’s actions to be analyzed as possible federal crimes.

Pruitt was a controversial pick for office since the very beginning. Before being appointed EPA Chief, he was a harsh critic of the EPA.

Some of the scandals regarding his administrations are related to his frequent travels via private planes and military jets to his home state of Oklahoma. These travels were paid for using taxpayers’ money, and his flights cost sixty thousand dollars each, a price which could have been severely reduced if he used commercial flights.

Pruitt has notably asked many of his top aides to run personal errands for him. According to both The Washington Post and The New York Times, Pruitt asked his aides to find a job for his wife and to find rental properties for his family. One of his most controversial requests involved his aides asking Trump International Hotel if they had “an old mattress that he could purchase.”

Pruitt reportedly has rather bizarre and non-conventional connections to lobbyists. He lived for about half a year in a condominium which was owned by a health care lobbyist. He paid below market price for the condo and was often behind on rent.

Other controversies involved his frequent use of the White House restaurant and his purchase and covert installation of a soundproof system in his office.

In his final letter to President Trump as EPA chief, Pruitt stated the reasons for his resignation. He wrote:

It is extremely difficult for me to cease serving you in this role first because I count it a blessing to be serving you in any capacity, but also, because of the transformative work that is occurring. However, the unrelenting attacks on me personally, my family, are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us.”

Featured Image via Flickr/Gage Skidmore