It’s not just environmentalists who want Scott Pruitt to step down as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Count John Podesta, former counselor to President Barack Obama and chief of staff to President Bill Clinton among those making the call.
Writing in an editorial this week in the Washington Post, Podesta expressed his disgust with the former Oklahoma Attorney General.
“By now, it is clear that Pruitt is unfit for public office and needs to go.”
It should be noted that of course Pruitt is a Republican who challenged Obama’s EPA numerous times. Podesta is a long-time Democrat.
He charged that while the mission of the EPA has always been to protect human health and the environment, Pruitt “has made no secret that his personal mission is to do the opposite.”
“Time after time, Pruitt has ignored his agency’s own data, analysis and recommendations in order to protect corporate polluters. He has given new meaning to the lobbyist revolving door, hiring people who have close connections to the industries that the EPA is supposed to regulate. And he wasted taxpayer money for his own personal comfort,” added Podesta.
He wrote that even the White House is “fed up with this behavior” and scolded Pruitt for the embarrassing stories over his first-class travel.
“Enough is enough. Pruitt has failed to demonstrate that he can lead the EPA without putting American lives at risk or wantonly wasting taxpayer money. It’s time to give him the boot,” said Podesta in concluding his editorial.