Dem lawmakers seek criminal corruption probe of EPA's Pruitt
WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Friday formally requested that the Justice Department investigate Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt for potential criminal conduct.
In a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray and Justice criminal division chief John Cronan, six Democratic lawmakers with oversight of Pruitt's agency allege he repeatedly violated federal anti-corruption laws by seeking to leverage his government position for personal gain.
As evidence, the Democrats cite Pruitt's $50-a-night lease of a Capitol Hill condo tied to a lobbyist seeking to influence his agency, directing an EPA aide to contact a senior Chick-fil-A executive as part of an effort to land his family a franchise, and a $2,000 payment to his wife from organizers of a conference the administrator then attended at taxpayer expense.
A spokesman for Pruitt did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The letter was signed by Democratic Reps. Gerald Connolly and Donald Beyer of Virginia, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Ted Lieu of California. Connolly is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and serves as the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Government Operations.
President Donald Trump signaled Friday he is still standing by his embattled EPA chief, even as Pruitt's support among other Republicans has started to erode.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/dem-lawmakers-seek-criminal-corruption-probe-of-epas-pruitt/ar-AAyozqR?li=BBnb7Kz