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U.S. NEWS Thursday 21 June 2018

GOP senator defends EPA chief, calls ethics allegations lies

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER He rejected criticism of Carper said, "they would
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Re- Pruitt's travel to Morocco be sitting at this desk ex-
publican senator who had and Italy, saying the trips plaining week after week
expressed concerns about were part of the EPA ad- what's happening with the
Environmental Protection ministrator's job. Pruitt flew EPA." He pointed at the wit-
Agency chief Scott Pruitt premium class and was ac- ness table.
mounted an outspoken companied by a security Trump nominees appear-
defense of him Wednesday contingent for the trips. ing before the Senate
after a face-to-face meet- Inhofe did not speak to al- committee included Peter
ing, calling ethics allega- legations that Pruitt used Wright, a DowDuPont Inc.
tions against Pruitt "outra- staffers and other office executive named to lead
geous lies." resources to try to line up the EPA office overseeing
Sen. Jim Inhofe, from Pruitt's work for his wife and to ob- the country's Superfund
home state of Oklahoma, tain hard-to-get tickets to sites and other higher-risk
spoke after summoning the Rose Bowl and other industrial sites. The Union of
Pruitt to a one-on-one sporting events. Concerned Scientists has
meeting this week to dis- But he did say Pruitt told him challenged Wright's ability
cuss more than a dozen that he had had checked to impartially manage the
allegations that Pruitt has with EPA's ethics officials sites, which the nonprofit
misused his office to obtain about the sports tickets. group says include 50 facili-
perks and material benefits Pruitt, a Republican and ties owned by DowDuPont
for himself and his family, the former attorney gen- or a subsidiary. Carper said In this May 16, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection
including costly, taxpayer- eral of Oklahoma, had an Wright has agreed to stay Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt appears before a Senate
funded premium-class trips EPA aide reach out to Uni- out of an EPA action on any Appropriations subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and
and round-the-clock secu- versity of Oklahoma regent site involving DowDuPont Related Agencies on budget on Capitol Hill in Washington.
rity. Renzi Stone, a public-rela- for at least two years.q Associated Press
"This is the type of outra- tions consultant with clients
geous lies you hear in in the oil industry, to get the
Washington that people Rose Bowl tickets, accord-
don't have a chance to ing to Stone and to former
respond to," Inhofe said at Pruitt EPA aide Millan Hupp.
a Senate Committee on Federal ethics codes pro-
Environment and Public hibit executives from using
Works confirmation hearing subordinates for personal
for two EPA nominees that errands or from using their
quickly turned into a spar- office for personal financial
ring session about Pruitt. gain.
Democratic Sen. Tom Carp- President Donald Trump
er of Delaware listed some last week lauded Pruitt's
of the ethics allegations work at the EPA but said he
against Pruitt and said the was not "happy about cer-
Senate isn't doing enough tain things" surrounding the
to examine them and hold EPA chief.
him accountable. Many of the allegations
"We are abdicating a fun- concerning Pruitt emerged
damental responsibility of from testimony by former
this body if we continue to Pruitt aides to staffers of a
do so," he said. House oversight commit-
Inhofe interrupted him to tee investigating Pruitt and
defend Pruitt. from EPA emails obtained
"I know what you said is not through the federal Free-
correct," Inhofe said. dom of Information Act.
Inhofe, who expressed Republican Sen. Joni Ernst
concern last week about of Iowa, who has faulted
Pruitt's ethics problems, told Pruitt over the scandals
lawmakers he had spoken and over an ethanol policy
to Pruitt directly and now widely opposed by Mid-
believes the news media west corn farmers, criti-
is the source of much of cized Pruitt at Wednesday's
Pruitt's trouble. hearing for "unacceptable
uses of taxpayer dollars."
Carper repeatedly urged
that Pruitt appear quickly
before the panel to answer
questions. The committee
on Tuesday announced it
had tentatively set a hear-
ing with Pruitt for August.
If Pruitt's predecessors at
the EPA had faced "even
a fraction of what this ad-
ministration is accused of,"