{"slug":"trump-scott-pruitt-epa-corruption","title":"Scott Pruitt's EPA Corruption: First-Class Travel, Condo Deal, Sweetheart Favors","date":"2017-01-20","lastUpdated":"2018-07-05","description":"Scott Pruitt, Trump's first EPA Administrator, accumulated a documented record of ethical violations during his 17-month tenure: first-class flights at taxpayer expense, a heavily discounted Capitol Hill condo leased from an energy lobbyist's wife, 24/7 security detail used for personal errands, and repeated attempts to leverage his office to obtain business favors for his wife. Multiple investigations were opened; Pruitt resigned in July 2018 with 14 active federal ethics investigations pending.","summary":"Pruitt's EPA tenure was defined by serial self-dealing: he flew first-class and chartered government planes citing 'security threats' that his own security detail denied, leased a Capitol Hill condo for $50/night from the wife of an energy lobbyist (when the EPA was processing that lobbyist's clients' cases), directed his security detail to run personal errands and sourced a used mattress from Trump International Hotel, and asked his scheduler to seek Chick-fil-A franchise opportunities for his wife. He resigned in July 2018 as 14 separate federal ethics investigations were underway.","category":"corruption","severity":"major","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa.html","title":"Scott Pruitt's Ethical Swamp: The Full Accounting","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/scott-pruitt-resigns-as-epa-administrator/2018/07/05/4f6bbc3c-7fe4-11e8-b0ef-fffcabeff946_story.html","title":"Scott Pruitt resigns as EPA administrator amid multiple ethics investigations","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://apnews.com/article/7f43c2c59f4846fe837a21b66e73ded7","title":"EPA chief Pruitt resigns amid mounting ethics investigations","publisher":"The Associated Press"},{"url":"https://www.propublica.org/article/epa-chief-scott-pruitt-ethics-investigations-timeline","title":"Scott Pruitt's Ethics Scandals: A Timeline","publisher":"ProPublica"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["corruption","EPA","Pruitt","ethics","first-term","environment"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2017-01-20","title":"Pruitt confirmed as EPA Administrator","summary":"Pruitt is confirmed along party lines. As Oklahoma AG he had sued the EPA 14 times; his appointment was widely understood as a directive to roll back environmental regulations."},{"date":"2017-12-01","title":"First-class flight spending reported","summary":"Reporting reveals Pruitt has been flying first-class or on charter flights at taxpayer expense, justifying the cost on vague security grounds. The EPA Inspector General opens a review."},{"date":"2018-03-07","title":"Condo deal reported","summary":"The Washington Post reports that Pruitt had leased a Capitol Hill condo room from J. Steven Hart's wife Vicki for $50/night — far below market rate for the neighborhood — while the EPA processed regulatory cases affecting Hart's lobbying clients."},{"date":"2018-06-01","title":"Chick-fil-A and personal-errands stories published","summary":"Additional reporting documents that Pruitt asked his scheduler to help his wife obtain a Chick-fil-A franchise and directed security agents to perform personal errands. The number of active investigations reaches double digits."},{"date":"2018-07-05","title":"Pruitt resigns — 14 investigations pending","summary":"Pruitt submits his resignation letter, citing the 'unrelenting attacks' on him and his family. At the time of his resignation, 14 separate federal ethics investigations are active or pending. Trump praises his tenure."}],"location":{"name":"Washington, D.C.","lat":38.9072,"lng":-77.0369},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[],"iccRelevance":false,"victims":"American taxpayers; environmental regulations rolled back to benefit industry donors; EPA staff subjected to demands to run personal errands","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Scott Pruitt","role":"EPA Administrator January 2017 — July 2018","institution":"Environmental Protection Agency"},{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"Appointed and repeatedly defended Pruitt despite documented ethics violations","institution":"White House"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2018-07-05","summary":"Updated with resignation."}]}}