Scott Pruitt must go

Trump has kept Pruitt because he is pleased with Pruitt’s success at destroying regulations that protect the environment.  Pruitt should be fired because of his corrupt behavior.

Here’s a roundup of articles on his policies, staff and personal behavior.  There are so many, this only covers April 7-12:

The Senate confirmed a former coal lobbyist as Pruitt’s second-in-command.

Pruitt wanted to drop the EPA logo on a keepsake coin and replace it with things personal to him.

Pruitt wanted to stay in luxury hotels instead of secure hotels recommended by the State Department.

That article has a good overview of all of the investigations concerning Pruitt.

The EPA removed a career employee who approved a report on Pruitt’s claims that he needed around-the-clock bodyguards and other extreme protective measures.

There have been no credible threats against Pruitt.

Pruitt is rolling back clean car standards.

Pruitt claimed he didn’t know about large raises given to some of his top subordinates.  An email proved he signed off on one of the raises.

Pruitt was involved in a sleazy 2011 real estate deal that netted him a $70,000 profit.

Pruitt’s attempts to rollback environmental regulations may be struck down in court because procedures weren’t followed.

“The prior head of Pruitt’s security detail, Eric Weese, was demoted last year after he refused Pruitt’s demand to use the lights and sirens on his government-owned SUV to get him through Washington traffic to the airport and dinner reservations.”

from the same article: “The EPA official who spoke to the AP said Perrotta also arranged the installation of a $43,000 soundproof phone booth for Pruitt’s office.

At least five EPA officials were placed on leave, reassigned or demoted after pushing back against spending requests such as a $100,000-a-month private jet membership, a bulletproof vehicle and $70,000 for furniture such as a bulletproof desk for the armed security officer always stationed inside the administrator’s office suite.”

Pruitt’s security has cost nearly $3 million.

” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt held 25-times more meetings with industry representatives than environmental advocates during his first seven months in office…”

Washington Post editorial: Pruitt is unfit

“At least five officials at the Environmental Protection Agency, four of them high-ranking, were reassigned or demoted, or requested new jobs in the past year after they raised concerns about the spending and management of the agency’s administrator, Scott Pruitt.”

 

The Trump administration is not taking enforcement actions on businesses that deal with consumers

Under Obama las appointee, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took an average of two to four actions a month to stop companies from hurting consumers.

Under Trump (since the Obama director resigned), the CFPB has taken 0 actions.  That’s zero!  Trump is pro-business and will let them cheat consumers. Sad!

Trump’s “best people”

Here’s a roundup of articles on current and potential Trump appointees.  Some have disturbing views while others have character issues.

An opponent of the Endangered Species Act is picked to oversee the Department of Interior’s wildlife policy.

A Defense Department appointee resigned after it was shown he was a birther.

Trump’s pick to head an organization that coordinates assistance to migrants made anti-Muslim tweets.

A Fox News commentator who had considered to head the VA had infidelity and nepotism issues.

“The Trump administration’s abrupt cancellation of a federal program to prevent teen pregnancy last year was directed by political appointees over the objections of career experts in the Department of Health and Human Services.”

 

 

 

Trump’s personal aide lost his job over his gambling habit which was considered a security risk.

Sad!

 

 

Get rid of Kushner

Kushner is unethical, just like his father-in-law.  Remember, he lost his top security clearance and had to revise his financial disclosure form several times.

Deutsche Bank loaned Kushner’s business $285 million right before the 2016 election. This could pose a conflict of interest.  Like Trump, Kushner has not disposed of most of his business holdings.

Kushner’s family business received loans from Citigroup and a private equity firm after a White House meeting.  “There is little precedent for a top White House official meeting with executives of companies as they contemplate sizable loans to his business, say government ethics experts.”  It is certainly not appropriate.

A Saudi prince bragged that Kushner gave him CIA intelligence about other Saudis according to this story.  Four countries previously discussed how to manipulate Kushner.

A New York City agency is investigating a dozen Kushner properties after reports the company routinely filed false paperwork.

These are not the only stories.  Kushner has no qualifications to work on foreign policies and his businesses are cause for conflict of interest concerns.

Trump needs to get rid of his son-in-law.  This is not a family business.  Sad!

update 7/11/18:

The right-wing media’s invalid defense of Pruitt’s travel costs

The right-wing media is making invalid comparisons to Obama Administration costs.

“Pruitt said that Obama’s EPA heads spent almost ten times as much as he did on international travel—his $120,000 compared with their $1 million. To start, Pruitt’s 2017 international travel costs are actually $160,000. (He declined to include a $40,000 trip to Morocco, perhaps because it’s under investigation for potential impropriety by the EPA inspector general.) Next, the $1 million figure he cites represents 14 trips Obama’s EPA heads took over a period of eight years, compared with two international trips Pruitt took in one year. Correlating $160,000 to $1 million is thus a plainly false comparison.”

Sad!