CONFLICT OF INTERESTS/ENERGY/EPA/ETHICS/SCOTT PRUITT: “U.S. House Democrats want answers from Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt about political appointees in his agency who got special permission to moonlight for outside clients, which they said may compromise their impartiality.
Top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its oversight subcommittee said they sent questions to Pruitt on Monday [3-6-18] after receiving documents they requested six months ago, which they said leave ‘many vital questions unanswered’ about EPA appointees holding outside jobs.
The lawmakers, led by New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone, said in their letter that they were sending it ‘regarding serious concerns of impartiality of current U.S. EPA political appointees and to request additional information regarding appointees engaged in outside activity for compensation.’
Several current political appointees got approval by the EPA’s ethics office to engage in outside activity for compensation, agency records show.
Those employees include John Konkus, deputy associate administrator of public affairs, who was tapped by Pruitt to screen EPA grants, weeding out those that dealt with climate change or other issues not considered a priority by the Trump administration, the Washington Post reported last September…. The EPA did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.”
-Reuters Staff, “House Democrats raise concerns about EPA officials with outside jobs,” Reuters, Mar. 6, 2018 11:00am