Pruitt Faces New Ethics Accusations Over EPA’s Climate Rule Repeal

"After a marathon day of House hearings, the EPA administrator was hit with a new complaint from California and 15 other areas."

"Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is facing new accusations of ethical violations over his refusal to recuse himself from the process of repealing a landmark power plant rule.

In a letter sent to the EPA on Thursday evening and obtained by HuffPost, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Pruitt’s statements over the past three months indicating he plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era rule to limit greenhouse gas emissions from utilities, violate impartiality requirements in the rulemaking process. The letter was signed by eight other states, the District of Columbia, one Florida county and five cities.

“The American people are entitled to an impartial decision-maker,” Becerra said in a statement. “EPA Administrator Pruitt simply cannot be that person. He must be recused from any involvement in the EPA’s attempt to repeal the Clean Power Plan.”"

Alexander C. Kaufman reports for HuffPost April 26, 2018.