DEMS/EPA/SCOTT PRUITT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, fought back Thursday [4-26-18] against Democratic criticism of his spending and policies, asserting that the attacks were driven by opposition to President Donald Trump’s agenda. In a largely partisan hearing before a House subcommittee, Mr. Pruitt said he recognized the ‘very troubling reports’ on his travel, housing and personnel actions, but that much of what had been reported was twisted. ‘Let me be clear, I have nothing to hide,’ he said. The EPA administrator is under investigation for his spending on office furnishings, personnel moves, travel costs and destinations, security practices and the link between his rental housing in Washington and a lobbyist. The White House, inspector general of the EPA, House oversight committee and Government Accountability Office have been looking at the issues. Mr. Pruitt said that responsibility for identifying and making changes ‘rests with me and nobody else’ and that he had experienced a ‘learning curve’ on the job, but also said that criticisms targeted toward him largely stemmed from policies he had pursued.”
– Heidi Vogt and Louise Radnofsky, “Pruitt Says Attacks Are Driven by Opposition to Trump,” The Wall Street Journal, April 26, 2018 3:57 pm