Victory for people and the planet as EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigns

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Amid growing ethics and corruption scandals, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned. For months, Pruitt’s mounting ethics issues produced increasingly alarming revelations, including foreign trips arranged by lobbyists, a sweetheart rental deal from the wife of an energy lobbyist, and millions of taxpayer dollars wasted on lavish luxuries.

Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement response:

Scott Pruitt’s corruption and coziness with industry lobbyists finally caught up with him. We’re happy that Pruitt can no longer deceive Americans or destroy our environment. This victory belongs to the hundreds of thousands of activists who fought to protect the Environmental Protection Agency from a corrupt crony set on destroying it from the inside.  

While we applaud Pruitt’s departure, our focus now shifts to acting administrator and coal industry crony Andrew Wheeler. Fossil fuel industry insiders have no business leading the EPA and we will hold Wheeler accountable for his efforts to harm our public health and environment.

The Trump Administration is still built on a culture of corruption and cronyism, with appointees like Ryan Zinke at Interior who have handed our country over to corporate polluters. We must work to remove every member of this administration who has abused their power and put polluter profits over people and the planet.

Communications contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, [email protected]