The White House director of legislative affairs acknowledged on Wednesday that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt could be a better steward of taxpayer dollars.
“I think that we campaigned on a promise to drain the swamp,” Marc Short told CBS News Wednesday. “We have to – we have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and I think that we take that promise seriously to the American people. I think that there are certain areas that the administrator would acknowledge were mistakes that he would want to fix.”
CBS’ Major Garrett then asked if that meant Pruitt could “do a better job” and Short said “yeah.”
“I think he would acknowledge that,” he said. “It’s factual to say that he has delivered on the agenda, and that is important. But I don’t think that you can say that simply delivering on the agenda excuses misuse of taxpayer dollars. I think that many of the things that are still going on with Scott Pruitt are under investigation, and we’re looking at it.”
While the White House has acknowledged that it is reviewing some of Pruitt’s lavish spending decisions, President Donald Trump has remained supportive of Pruitt, after weeks of reports about his spending on flights and a sound proof phone booth, around-the-clock security detail — even during family trips — and his sweetheart housing deal with the wife of an energy lobbyist.
Trump’s main defense of Pruitt has been the work the administrator has done to roll back regulations, but several Republican members of Congress and White House staff have called for scandal-plagued Pruitt to resign.
A desperate attempt to take off the heat and excuse inexcusable behavior. Corrupt! Swampy!!
Marc Short certainly “thinks” a lot
Maybe we should hear those words from Secretary Pruitt himself or is he in a reinforced bunker somewhere because someone glared at him?
Here’s a wild, crazy thought… Perhaps Pruitt could use taxpayer dollars to, you know, protect the environment? I’m surprised no one in this administration has thought of that. Perhaps I should jet on down to D.C. to inform someone. Who’s responsible? Can I just walk in, or do I need an appointment? It’s vitally important that I convey this brilliant insight to those in command.
It would acknowledged by many that the tax dollars that had been spent under the administrator could have been spent in a better fashion by him.
Holy passive voice, Batman.
The Pruitt Scandal has been heating up in the last couple of days. The summary of paragraph leaves out some of the new revelations:
Those expensive overseas trips that seemed weird for an EPA admin? Yeah, they were instigated and organized by a lobbyist
Said lobbyist got a big contract from the government of Morocco shortly after the trip demonstrated that he was close to the us admin
The other energy lobbyist? Pruitt’s landlord-in-law? The one who didn’t have any business before the EPA (besides that one meeting)? Yeah he “advised” Pruitt on appointees to the EPA’s science advisory panel