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Wednesday 2 May 2018
2 of Pruitt’s top aides leave EPA amid ethics investigations

days after EPA administra- probing reports of exces- ing and making necessary
tor Scott Pruitt told lawmak- sive spending by Pruitt and changes rests with me and
ers his subordinates were to other issues at the agency. no one else,” Pruitt told
blame for ethics problems Committee aides said Per- lawmakers then.
that have imperiled his po- rotta’s resignation was not Notably, most Republican
litical future and prompted expected to derail his ap- lawmakers at the hearings
more than a dozen federal pearance. declined to join the Demo-
investigations. EPA spokesman Jahan Wil- cratic dogpile on Pruitt.
In statements Tuesday, cox said that the depar- It was unclear Tuesday
Pruitt praised the two men tures were unrelated to the whether lawmakers from
— Pasquale “Nino” Perrot- ongoing federal investiga- Pruitt’s majority party
ta, the security chief, and tions and that the agen- would take the internal
Albert Kelly, who ran the cy was fully cooperating shakeup as a needed and
EPA’s Superfund program with the congressional promised house-cleaning
— and gave no reason for probe, led by House over- by Pruitt or an indication of
their unexpected depar- sight chairman Rep. Trey even greater trouble at the
In this April 19, 2017, file photo, Environmental Protection tures. Gowdy, R-S.C. agency.
Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks at a news conference Perrotta was expected to Pruitt’s spending on secu- “I don’t know how to take
with Pasquale “Nino” Perrotta, left, in East Chicago, Ind. appear Wednesday for a rity and some of the secu- this, yet,” Rep. Ryan Costel-
Associated Press transcribed interview by rity contracts with Perrotta lo of Pennsylvania, one of
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER of security and toxic-waste staffers of the House over- are among the topics of the few Republican law-
Associated Press cleanups at the Environ- sight committee, one of the federal probes involv- makers last week to fault
WASHINGTON (AP) — The mental Protection Agency the congressional bodies ing the EPA under Pruitt, a Pruitt on expenditures such
two top officials in charge have abruptly left their jobs, and federal organizations former Oklahoma attorney as taking bodyguards with
general. Pruitt, an ardent him to Disneyland and the
advocate of minimizing Rose Bowl, said in a state-
regulation, has survived the ment by email. “I’m waiting
kind of scandals that have on more details ...to shed
brought down several oth- more light on what, if any-
er Cabinet appointees of thing, to make of it.”
President Donald Trump’s. Pruitt said in his statements
At House hearings last that Perrotta was retiring
week, Pruitt weathered six after a 23-year govern-
hours of scathing questions, ment career that included
criticism and a couple of time in the Secret Service
calls from congressional and under previous EPA
Democrats to resign over administrators. He praised
the steady flow of news re- Perrotta for hard work and
ports and announcements dedication.
of new investigations al- Pruitt thanked Kelly for what
legations of ethical lapses he said was his “tremen-
at his agency. They include dous impact” in Kelly’s year
spending on Pruitt’s be- overseeing the nation’s Su-
half for round-the-clock perfund program, charged
security guards, first-class with handling the cleanup
plane tickets and a $43,000 of toxic waste sites.
soundproof telephone Pruitt hired Kelly, an Oklaho-
booth. Pruitt repeatedly ma banker, at the EPA af-
deflected blame last week, ter federal banking regula-
describing subordinates as tors banned the man from
going too far in carrying banking for life. Regulators
out their duties, in excesses have not publicly specified
that occurred without his the actions that led to the
knowledge. banking ban. Days ago,
In the case of the $43,000 Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif.,
booth, for example, Pruitt pressed Pruitt for more de-
acknowledged to lawmak- tails about why Kelly had
ers he had asked for a pri- been sanctioned.
vate and secure phone “I think Mr. Kelly, if he’s will-
line when he arrived at the ing to share that with you,
agency, but he said staff- he should do that,” Pruitt
ers took it upon themselves said Thursday.
to spend tens of thousands The Federal Deposit Insur-
of dollars on it. It was secu- ance Corp., believing Kelly
rity officials, not Pruitt, who “violated a law or regula-
decided he should fly first tion,” a year ago fined him
class, he said. $125,000. The undisclosed
Pruitt pledged last week incident involved a loan by
to take care of the prob- SpiritBank — which Kelly’s
lems. “Ultimately, as the family has owned for gen-
administrator of the EPA, erations — allegedly made
the responsibility of identify- without FDIC approval.q