ACCESSING CLASSIFIED FILES
Decrypting documents...
Your connection is being monitored
Back to Individuals
high risk
Scott Pruitt
Former EPA Administrator
Regulatory Dismantler and Ethics Violator
Overview
Scott Pruitt served as EPA Administrator from 2017 to 2018, systematically rolling back environmental regulations while accumulating ethics scandals that included a $50-per-night condo deal from a lobbyist, first-class travel costing taxpayers over $100,000, and using staff to seek personal favors including a Chick-fil-A franchise for his wife.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Rented condo from energy lobbyist at $50/night, well below market rate, while making regulatory decisions benefiting the lobbyist clients
First-class travel costing taxpayers over $100,000 justified by claiming security threats that were never substantiated
Directed EPA staff to seek personal employment and financial opportunities including a Chick-fil-A franchise for his wife
Installed a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office without congressional approval
Rolled back over 20 environmental regulations during his tenure including Clean Power Plan, methane emission rules, and vehicle efficiency standards
Maintained a secret calendar and conducted official meetings off the books to avoid FOIA disclosure
As Oklahoma AG, copied oil and gas company letters verbatim and submitted them as official state correspondence to federal regulators
Related Investigations (12)
Administrative State CaptureInstitutional Corruption
Tier 4
highCabinet Ethics ScandalsEthics Violations
Tier 4
highClimate SabotageMilitary & Foreign Policy
Tier 2
criticalEPA Regulatory CaptureEnvironmental Crime
Tier 2
criticalCorporate Environmental DestructionEnvironmental Crimes
Tier 2
criticalEnvironmental Regulatory CorruptionRegulatory Capture
Tier 2
highRegulatory Capture Under TrumpCorruption
Tier 4
highTrump Administration Corruption: The Grift That GovernedPolitical Corruption
Tier 3
highTrump First Administration: Four Years of Constitutional CrisisPolitical Corruption
Tier 3
criticalTrump Personal Corruption: Decades of Fraud, Tax Evasion, and Self-DealingFinancial Crime
Tier 3
criticalWater Privatization SchemesEnvironmental Crimes
Tier 2
highNationwide Water ContaminationMilitary & Foreign Policy
Tier 1
criticalKnown Associates & Connections
Donald Trump
President who appointed Pruitt and initially defended him despite scandals
Andrew Wheeler
Deputy who replaced Pruitt and continued deregulatory agenda with fewer scandals
Sources & Documentation
3 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
GAO: Pruitt Soundproof Booth Violated Spending Law(2018)
EPA OIG: Investigation of Administrator Travel and Security(2018)
Senate EPW Committee: Pruitt Ethics Investigation Records(2018)
Personal Information
- Born
- 1968-05-09
- Birthplace
- Danville, Kentucky
Education
- •B.A., Georgetown College (1990)
- •J.D., University of Tulsa College of Law (1993)
Key Timeline
2011
Became Oklahoma Attorney General; filed 14 lawsuits against EPA
2017-02
Confirmed as EPA Administrator in 52-46 Senate vote
2017-03
Began rolling back Clean Power Plan and methane emission rules
2017-09
First-class travel expenses and security detail costs revealed
2018-03
Lobbyist condo rental deal exposed by ABC News
2018-06
Staff Chick-fil-A request and mattress shopping revelations
2018-07
Resigned under pressure from 14 separate federal investigations