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U.S. NEWS Saturday 7 april 2018

EPA head fights for his job in meeting with Trump

Continued from Front
Pruitt is one of the most
effective members of his
Cabinet in undermining his
predecessor’s regulatory
agenda, and Trump enjoys
his hard-charging style.
The officials spoke on the
condition of anonymity to
describe sensitive internal
discussions.
Kelly and other White
House aides are frustrated
by the steady drip of nega-
tive press Pruitt is attracting
over a seemingly below-
market lease on an apart-
ment owned by the wife of
a leading lobbyist, reports
that he instructed his secu-
rity detail to use emergen-
cy lights and sirens to beat
traffic, and the continuing
fallout from using private
and first-class air travel last
year. Pruitt has vigorously
denied any wrongdoing
and blamed the accusa-
tions on political opponents
of the policies he is enact-
ing.
Agency sources and docu-
ments reviewed by The As-
sociated Press found the
EPA spent millions of dollars
for a 20-member full-time
security detail that is three A sign criticizing Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is seen posted on the base of a utility pole on the corner
times the size of his prede- of H Street NW and 13 Street NW in Washington, Friday, April 6, 2018.
cessor’s part-time security Associated Press
contingent.
An EPA official said that to- to fend off some of the al- that Kelly took a far sterner of protecting the environ- gressions.
tal security costs for Pruitt legations. tone with Pruitt than initially ment. Several other Trump ap-
approached $3 million As the White House looks reported, warning that the It’s gotten unnecessary pointees, including Housing
when pay was added to into the claims against EPA job was in jeopardy if regulations out of the way.” and Urban Development
travel expenses. Pruitt, administration of- he couldn’t put an end to The scrutiny surrounding head Ben Carson and In-
Though Pruitt has few al- ficials say they have felt the distracting coverage. Pruitt comes just a week af- terior Secretary Ryan Zinke,
lies in the White House, his blindsided by the news re- “We’re continuing to re- ter another Cabinet mem- have also faced questions
team has activated a net- ports, believing Pruitt hasn’t view any of the concerns ber, about their expenditures
work of conservative activ- “come clean.” we have,” said White Veterans Affairs Secretary and behavior.
ists and lawmakers to rally Earlier this week, two ad- House press secretary Sar- David Shulkin, was ousted On Capitol Hill, where
behind him. ministration officials touted ah Huckabee Sanders. She amid ethical questions. some Republican lawmak-
Pruitt has also sat for a a pair of supposedly lau- declined to engage on White House aides believed ers have already called for
series of interviews with datory calls to Pruitt from the specific accusations that Shulkin had misrepre- Pruitt’s firing or resignation,
largely conservative news Trump and Kelly, including against Pruitt, calling them sented the coming findings House Minority Leader Nan-
outlets to defend himself the encouragement that “hypotheticals.” of a critical inspector gen- cy Pelosi said Pruitt must go.
— though even support- he “keep fighting.” But two “The president feels that eral report, but an official Pruitt’s tenure, she said, has
ers acknowledge he did other officials said the praise the administrator has done said that, at least so far, been “part of the Trump
himself no favors with a Fox had to do with Pruitt’s work a good job at EPA,” she Trump had not equated administration’s culture of
News interview this week in and not the ethical cloud added. “He’s restored it that with Pruitt’s omissions corruption, cronyism and
which he seemed unable surrounding him — and back to its original purpose of his own alleged trans- incompetence.”q