Pruitt Will Recuse Himself From Lawsuits He Brought Against EPA

"Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has recused himself from ongoing lawsuits against the agency that he participated in during his previous job as Oklahoma attorney general.

In a four-page document dated Thursday, Pruitt detailed a list of cases he said he planned to avoid during his time leading the agency he so often opposed while in Oklahoma. The cases include high-stakes litigation over the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan and the controversial Clean Water Rule, both of which the Trump administration has said it intends to roll back.

Pruitt also wrote that he would recuse himself from a handful of cases involving clean-air regulations, methane regulations for the oil and gas industry and mercury standards for power plans. In addition, he said he would avoid participating in the legal cases involving a diesel emissions cheating scandal at Volkswagen AG."

Brady Dennis reports for the Washington Post May 5, 2017.