EPA’s Chief Ethics Officer wants more investigations of Scott Pruitt

If the chief ethics officer of the Environmental Protection Agency gets his way, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt could face even more investigations.

Kevin S. Minoli has sent a letter dated June 27, 2018 to David J. Apol, Acting Director and General Counsel of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics requesting a series of investigations into possible improprieties by the former Oklahoma Attorney General. Pruitt is already facing 13 investigations.

As chief ethics office at the EPA, Minoli has the job of helping agency staffers obey government ethics laws. His letter is the first evidence that he now has serious questions and doubts about Pruitt following federal ethics rules. He had previously defended Pruitt.

“Since your letter in April, additional potential issues regarding Mr. Pruitt have come to my attention through sources within EPA and media reports,”wrote Minoli. “Consistent with my obligations under Office of Government Ethics regulations, I have referred a number of these matters to EPA’s Inspector General and have provided “ready and active assistance” to the Inspector General and his office.”

But Minoli contends there should be an investigation into how Pruitt rented the $50-a-night condominium from the wife of lobbyist J. Steven Hart. Minoli in March defended Pruitt’s action to lease the condo, indicating the price appeared to be fair market value. But in recent weeks, Minoli learned that Hart was chairman of the lobbying firm Williams and Jensen and had intervened with the EPA and directly with Pruitt.

Minoli also asked the Acting Director to review reports that an aide to Pruitt helped him search for housing and did other personal matters during office hours. There was also the issue of a $2,000 payment to Pruitt’s wife, Marlyn from Concordia, a Manhattan-based nonprofit group that had invited Pruitt to speak last year in New York.

Over the weekend, the EPA declined to comment on the latest allegation.