Senate Democrats Call for Investigation of Pruitt's Unusual Raises

[babylonsister]

Senate Democrats Call for Investigation of Pruitt's Unusual Raises
Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Tom Carper question whether Pruitt or one of his aides abused special hiring powers granted by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Elaina Plott and Robinson Meyer 6:03 PM ET Politics


Scott Pruitt’s unusual hiring habits came under greater scrutiny on Thursday. Senators Tom Carper and Sheldon Whitehouse wrote to the inspector general of the Environmental Protection Agency, calling for a deeper probe of Scott Pruitt’s use of a special hiring authority granted to him by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

In the letter, Carper and Whitehouse—top Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee—reference Pruitt’s use of the law to circumvent the White House last month and grant substantial pay raises to two of his favored aides, as we first reported.

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On Tuesday, we reported that Pruitt had requested raises of $56,765, and $28,130 for Millan Hupp and Sarah Greenwalt, respectively. The White House turned him down. Pruitt then “re-appointed” both women under the SDWA—despite counsel from his top political aides that the decision, if made public, could be damaging.

Yet in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Pruitt denied any knowledge of the raises. He claimed that he had only “found out about the issue yesterday,” and said “{his} staff” was responsible for granting them. Pruitt said upon being briefed, he “corrected the action” and “walked back” the raises.

Carper and Whitehouse wrote to the IG that Pruitt’s Fox interview “raises several troubling questions.”

“If Pruitt’s statements to Fox News were accurate, then one or more EPA officials other than the Administrator appointed and fixed the compensation of these individuals absent direction from or knowledge of the Administrator. This could indicate a serious breakdown of internal controls on the appropriate use of this authority,” they wrote.

“If Pruitt’s statements were false,” the letter continues, “then the SDWA hiring authority may have been intentionally abused under the direction of the Administrator to award large raises to his favored aides.”

more...

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/04/senate-democrats-call-for-investigation-of-pruitts-unusual-raises/557384/

[MagickMuffin]

1. GO GO GET EM GET EM

Team Democrats

[AJT]

2. The dems have no authority. All they can do is ask for an investigation.

If the republicans don't feel like doing it they wont. I can't imagine the helpless feeling the dems must have, all they can do is make noise and watch the republicans "drown the government in a bathtub" while they rake in money.

[MagickMuffin]

3. Yes, of course

I know the Dems don't have the authority to bring about the investigation. I wasn't born yesterday. I know the game republicans play, been doing it for decades or generations depending how far back you want to go.