EPA’s Scott Pruitt resigns, Andrew Wheeler takes over as Trump chimes in
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt resigned from his position on Thursday after coming under intense scrutiny over questions about his ethics.
“I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,” Trump tweeted Thursday afternoon. “Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this.”
“The Senate confirmed Deputy at EPA, Andrew Wheeler, will on Monday assume duties as the acting Administrator of the EPA,” Trump continued. “I have no doubt that Andy will continue on with our great and lasting EPA agenda. We have made tremendous progress and the future of the EPA is very bright!”
Pruitt has been a longtime target of the left, calling attention to a variety of accusations and possible wrongdoing, as noted by The Daily Mail: “Embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt finally resigned after an onslaught of scandals that lead to more than a dozen investigations of his use of staff, VIP travel, and efforts to gain perks and boost his household income.”
Pruitt’s former chief of staff Kevin Chmielewski, who came to EPA from the Trump campaign, told CNN Pruitt held meetings to ‘scrub, alter or remove from Pruitt’s official calendar numerous records because they might “look bad.”‘
Wheeler is viewed as a consummate Washington insider who avoids the limelight and has spent years effectively navigating the rules.
