GAO Finds Pruitt Didn't Violate Law Appearing In Beef Association Ad

"A government watchdog is absolving former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt of any wrongdoing after critics questioned his involvement in an advertisement for beef.

A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released Wednesday found that Pruitt did not violate any publicity or propaganda and anti-lobbying laws when he appeared in a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NBCA) video in 2017.

"EPA’s use of its appropriations for the then-Administrator’s interview and appearance in an NCBA video did not violate the publicity or propaganda, grassroots lobbying, or Interior anti-lobbying provisions," the GAO report read. "Because the then-Administrator’s appearance in the video did not constitute a communication that was self-aggrandizing, purely partisan, or covert, EPA did not violate the publicity or propaganda prohibition.""

Miranda Green reports for The Hill August 22, 2018.

Source: The Hill, 08/23/2018