"Lobbyist Tied to EPA Chief’s Condo Tried To Influence Agency"

"WASHINGTON — Newly filed reports show the Washington lobbyist linked to a bargain-priced Capitol Hill condo leased by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt had far more contact with the agency than previously disclosed, despite repeated denials by both men.

Powerhouse lobbying firm Williams & Jensen amended its 2017 disclosure filings to show that former chairman J. Steven Hart contacted EPA on behalf of the Coca-Cola Company, pork producer Smithfield Foods and a board overseeing the finances of hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Pruitt has denied that Hart lobbied his agency in 2017, most recently during congressional testimony last month. The firm amended its required federal lobbying disclosures after an extensive review of Hart’s emails, calendar entries and other materials."

Michael Biesecker reports for the Associated Press June 2, 2018.

SEE ALSO:

"Lobbyist Whose Wife Rented a Condo to Scott Pruitt Failed to Disclose E.P.A. Lobbying" (New York Times)

"Lobbyist Linked to EPA Chief’s Condo Rental Lobbied Agency On Behalf Of Several Clients, Firm Discloses" (Washington Post)

Source: AP, 06/04/2018