Press Releases
Top House Dems Seek Information On Pruitt’s Legal Defense Fund
Washington,
May 24, 2018
Rep. Don Beyer today led a group of five House Democratic leaders requesting information from EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and the EPA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) about Pruitt’s legal defense fund. Pruitt confirmed the existence of the fund to Senators in a hearing last week, but key details have not yet been made public or provided to Congress, which potentially raises a series of ethics concerns. Pruitt’s fund is intended to help cover legal costs related to the many federal investigations into his misconduct. The Representatives wrote: … “We are also concerned about the possibility of anonymous donations to your legal defense fund, as such donations could easily bypass prohibitions on donations from lobbyists and special interests with business before the EPA. We note that, while federal regulations merely require the disclosure of donations above $390, recent guidance from the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) advises “that the instruments establishing legal defense funds include a clause stating that ‘contributions shall not be accepted from anonymous sources.’” … The letter was signed by Beyer and Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), and Ted Lieu (D-CA), a group which includes the Ranking and Vice-Ranking Members of the House Judiciary Committee and the Vice-Ranking Members of the House Science Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Signed copies are available of the letters to EPA IG Arthur Elkins and to Administrator Scott Pruitt. |