Scott Pruitt Resigns as EPA Administrator

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks during an interview for Reuters at his office in Washington, U.S., July 10, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

Scott Pruitt resigned as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amid controversy over his leadership, President Donald Trump confirmed the resignation on Twitter Thursday.

“I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,” President Trump tweeted. “Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this.”

He also said Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler will take over the duties of Administrator on Monday.

…on Monday assume duties as the acting Administrator of the EPA. 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!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 5, 2018

“The Senate confirmed Deputy at EPA, Andrew Wheeler, will… on Monday assume duties as the acting Administrator of the EPA,” he added. “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!”

The resignation comes less than a week after The New York Times reported that the EPA’s chief ethics official, Kevin Minoli, had been pushing for independent investigations. In total, he is facing 13 federal inquiries into his spending and management practices.

Though the allegations of excess certainly warrant investigation, it is also true that the media put Mr. Pruitt under rather unprecedented scrutiny for ideological reasons. Supporters of Mr. Pruitt’s and the president would not be surprised to learn Obama Administration officials operated the same culture of extravagance, without receiving such scrutiny.

“It is extremely difficult for me to cease serving you in this role first because I count it a blessing to be serving you in any capacity, but also, because of the transformative work that is occurring,” Mr. Pruitt, the former attorney general for Oklahoma wrote in his resignation letter to President Trump.

“However, the unrelenting attacks on me personally [and] my family, are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us.”

As People’s Pundit Daily (PPD) previously reported, Mr. Pruitt and his family have received “unprecedented” death threats ranging from social media, email, postcard and phone calls.

According to a report from August 2017, which covers the period from October 2016 to August 2017, the EPA Office of Inspector General detailed 13 death threats. Several of them were deemed serious enough to refer to the Justice Department (DOJ).

“Pruitt, I’m gonna find you and put a bullet between your eyes,” one of the more serious threats flagged by investigators stated. “Don’t think I’m joking. I’m planning this.”

The report also reveals that the administrator’s daughter received a death threat on Facebook.