EPA’s chief ethics officer recommends investigations into Pruitt allegations: reports

The top ethics official at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for a series of independent investigations into possible ethics violations by the agency’s administrator, Scott Pruitt, according to multiple media reports. 

In his letter to the Office of Government Ethics, the official, Kevin Minoli, wrote that “additional potential issues regarding Mr. Pruitt have come to my attention through sources within the EPA and media reports,” according to The Washington Post.

The New York Times first reported the letter on Saturday, after it obtained a copy through a Freedom of Information Act request.

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Among the issues into which Minoli has requested investigations is Pruitt’s rental of a Capitol Hill condo owned by the wife of an influential lobbyist, the Times reported. Media reports have indicated that Pruitt paid far below market rate at just $50 per night.

Minoli had initially approved the request, among other decisions, the Post reported.

Minoli has also asked for an examination of allegations that Pruitt had an aide help him with personal matters, including searching for housing during work hours, according to the Times. 

Pruitt has faced mounting scrutiny in recent months for questionable behavior, including the condominium rental and his use of first- and business-class travel that costs thousands of dollars.

According to the Times, there are currently 13 separate inquiries into Pruitt’s spending and management practices while at the EPA.