April 03, 2018
By the Editors –
Members of the Trump administration continue to have difficulty following basic ethical standards. The latest lapse, by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, is more troubling than the recent purchase of a $31,000 dining set by HUD Secretary Ben Carson, which he blamed on his wife. (Who said chivalry is dead?)
When Pruitt first moved to Washington last year, for roughly six months he rented a condominium from a woman whose husband lobbies the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of energy-industry clients. As if that weren’t bad enough, Pruitt managed to get a sweetheart deal.
Pruitt claims he rented only one room in the couple’s two-bedroom condo. But reports indicate that he used the condo’s communal areas for business meetings and socializing, that his daughter used the other bedroom while in D.C. on a summer internship, and that the condo did not have any other tenants. If true, a note to the EPA: This is what’s called renting a two-bedroom condo.
The mission of the Environmental Protection Agency is “to protect human health and the environment.” Disgraced EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt tried his best to undermine this vital mission by choosing to slash critical health protections and let corporate polluters off the hook. Now that Pruitt’s been booted, we need an EPA administrator dedicated to undoing his toxic agenda and restoring the agency to its core mission. Progress is possible and necessary – but another corporate crony or climate skeptic will not get us there.
Scott Pruitt is gone, but the fight is just beginning. We need an EPA administrator who puts our health and environment first, period. Any alternative is unacceptable.
