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EPA Inspector General Investigations:

1. Inspector General (IG) investigation to explore the frequency, cost, and extent of Pruitt’s travel: On August 28, 2017, the EPA IG’s Office announcedthat it would be opening an investigation into the frequency of Pruitt’s travels to Oklahoma. The investigation was also intended to determine “whether EPA policies and procedures are sufficiently designed to prevent fraud, waste and abuse with the Administrator’s travel that included trips to Oklahoma.” The probe was expandedin January 2018 to include Pruitt’s travels through the end of 2017, including to Morocco, a trip which cost $100,000.

2. IG investigation into Pruitt’s meeting with an industry group: EPA IG opened an investigation in December 2017 to analyze Pruitt’s April 2017 meeting with a coal mining industry group, the National Mining Association. Reportedly, Pruitt urged association members in the meeting to request that President Trump pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate deal. Democrats from the House Energy and Commerce Committee released a letter from EPA IG Arthur Elkins Jr. confirming the review of the meeting.

3. IG investigation into Pruitt’s spending on a secure phone booth: In response to a request from House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, the EPA IG in December 2017 opened an investigation into how the agency decided to spend “more than $25,000 installing a secure, soundproof communications booth” for Pruitt’s office. Since the start of the investigation, new spending details have been released indicating that the booth actually cost closer to $43,000. In a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Pruitt claimed that he had no knowledge of the booth’s cost during its construction process, but rather that his staff had signed off on it.

4. IG investigation into Pruitt’s use of Safe Drinking Water Act hiring authority: In January 2018, the EPA IG’s Office began an investigation into “the Office of the Administrator’s use of its authority to fill administratively determined positions created pursuant to the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendment of 1978.” Pruitt or his staff had used this specialized authority, intended for hiring experts quickly, to hire a number of political staff for his personal office.

5. IG investigation over questionable spending on Pruitt’s security detail:In April 2018, it was reported that the EPA IG was conducting a previously undisclosed probe into “questionable spending by [Pruitt’s] swollen security detail.” The team tasked with protecting Pruitt had been accruing expenses upward of $3 million from salary, overtime, and travel expenses, far morethan Pruitt’s predecessors.

6. IG investigation to audit compliance with Trump’s 2-For-1 order:In April 2018, the EPA IG’s office opened an investigation into the agency’s compliance with Trump’s executive order that directed agencies to retire two regulations for an new regulation issued.

7. IG investigation into Pruitt’s conduct in office:In April 2018, Congressman Ted Lieu and Don Beyer released an EPA IG letter to the public that confirmed his office was reviewing Pruitt’s conduct while in office. This includes a look into Pruitt’s $50-a-night condo rental from a lobbyist, and the agency’s ex post facto ethics approval of the arrangement.

8. IG investigation into Pruitt’s use of security detail on personal trips to Disneyland and the Rose Bowl: After a request from Senator Whitehouse, the EPA IG office confirmed in April of 2018 that they were looking into Pruitt’s use of a taxpayer-funded security detail on vacation to Disneyland, the Rose Bowl, and on other personal trips.

9. IG investigation into Pruitt’s condo rental: Separate from #7, the EPA IG’s office confirmed in April 2018 that they were reviewing Pruitt’s $50-a-night condo rental and lease. This was after Democrats from both the House and Senate called on the IG to review the arrangement, which was between Pruitt and the wife of a lobbyist with energy clients who had business before the EPA at the time Pruitt lived in the condo.

10. IG investigation into Pruitt’s use of multiple email accounts: EPA’s IG Arthur Elkins released a letter on May 15 saying his office would investigate whether Pruitt complied with EPA policy and federal law when using multiple email accounts, in response to a request from Democratic Senators Tom Carper (DE) and Jeff Merkley (OR). The investigation will also explore whether all of Pruitt’s accounts were searched in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

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Originally posted by JALLEN:
The Senate confirmed Deputy at EPA, Andrew Wheeler, will on Monday assume duties as the acting Administrator of the EPA.

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He may have been steering EPA in the right direction, but apparently flunked out of Government Ethics training.

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Originally posted by roberth:
I'm looking for the "why". Haven't found anything yet.

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Originally posted by zipriderson:

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Originally posted by roberth:
I'm looking for the "why". Haven't found anything yet.

Excess spending, ie sound proof room in his office. Lavish trips that apparently little to do with his jobs. Freedom of information act showed he asked staff to find reasons for him to travel to xyz places. Lack of transparency with regard to his schedule. Trying to win his wife job opportunities/favors. I don't doubt his work in the EPA was fruitful, but he sure seems shady based on what I know about him.

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Originally posted by roberth:
I'm looking for the "why". Haven't found anything yet.

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Well put. It is actually pretty simple to follow. I think in many instances it is a question of character. Patronage may be fine in Chicago government, but it has no place in the Federal Government. Dan Rostenkowski was a good example. They finally got him on abusing franking privileges if I recall correctly.

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Originally posted by smschulz:

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Originally posted by zipriderson:

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Originally posted by roberth:
I'm looking for the "why". Haven't found anything yet.

Excess spending, ie sound proof room in his office. Lavish trips that apparently little to do with his jobs. Freedom of information act showed he asked staff to find reasons for him to travel to xyz places. Lack of transparency with regard to his schedule. Trying to win his wife job opportunities/favors. I don't doubt his work in the EPA was fruitful, but he sure seems shady based on what I know about him.

Inasmuch as these only ALLEGATIONS, he should be out if proved true.

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Originally posted by YellowJacket:
or he resigned because he decided it wasn't worth dealing with leftist BS every time he went out in public.

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Originally posted by rscalzo:
Trumps a businessman. Screw up, don't do the job and you get fired. Just the way it should be. Politicians cover it up, move them or ignore the issue.