GAO Finds Pruitt Didn't Violate Law Appearing In Beef Association Ad [1]
"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.""