Chairman Barrasso Seeks Answers on Scott Pruitt's Email Practices

"Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is now scrutinizing whether Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is fully complying with public records requests, given the fact that he has multiple government email addresses.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Pruitt has four different addresses, three of which do not follow EPA’s conventional format. Agency lawyers have raised concerns that not all of them are being searched during Freedom of Information Act requests. Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.) and Thomas R. Carper (Del.) have demanded that Pruitt provide greater disclosure on the matter. On Friday, Barrasso joined that call.

Until this week, Barrasso has refrained from criticizing any of Pruitt’s actions while in office, instead praising the EPA administrator’s deregulatory agenda. On Monday, however, Barrasso raised concern about the Government Accountability Office’s report that EPA had violated federal spending laws by failing to notify Congress before installing a private phone booth in Pruiit’s office last year at a cost of $43,000."

Juliet Eilperin reports for the Washington Post April 17, 2018.

SEE ALSO:

"EPA Defends Scott Pruitt’s Multiple Email Addresses As ‘Standard Practice Since Clinton’" (HuffPost)

"Vitter: EPA’s Email Trouble Continues, More Lisa Jackson Email Abuse" (former Sen. Vitter Release of 8/14/2013)