JUST IN: Trump made special phone call to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt…

by The Right Scoop

Scott Pruitt is always in the crosshairs of the media these days. If they aren’t scrutinizing every dime of his travel expenses including first class flights, they are looking for potential conflicts of interest or favoritism.

The latest controversy is over a condominium that he rented for $50 a night that is apparently linked to energy lobbyists…

NY TIMES – The Environmental Protection Agency signed off last March on a Canadian energy company’s pipeline-expansion plan at the same time that the E.P.A. chief, Scott Pruitt, was renting a condominium linked to the energy company’s powerful Washington lobbying firm.

Both the E.P.A. and the lobbying firm dispute that there was any connection between the agency’s action and the condo rental, for which Mr. Pruitt was paying $50 a night.

“Any attempt to draw that link is patently false,” Liz Bowman, a spokeswoman for Mr. Pruitt, said in a written statement.

Nevertheless, government ethics experts said that the correlation between the E.P.A.’s action and Mr. Pruitt’s lease arrangement — he was renting from the wife of the head of the lobbying firm Williams & Jensen — illustrates why such ties to industry players can generate questions for public officials: Even if no specific favors were asked for or granted, it can create an appearance of a conflict.

In light of all the media hubbub over this and speculation about Pruitt getting fired, Trump himself called Pruitt last night to lend his support. Kelly called him this morning to reiterate Trump’s support:

It is true that some of the media scrutiny on Pruitt is completely unfair and I expect Trump wants to assure Pruitt, in the face of all the media attention he is getting, that his job is secure and he has the president’s backing.

As far as this latest controversy, it seems to me that it wasn’t as though Pruitt got something for free. Pruitt was still paying $50/night. My point is I hope they have something more than this if they are going to allege he was bought and paid for to get his approval for this energy company’s pipeline expansion, because right now it doesn’t look like they have all that much.

UPDATE:

John Roberts just tweeted this:

Hmmmmmmmmm…


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