Pruitt sidelined EPA officials for questioning him

A New York Times report reveals that high-ranking officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency faced serious consequences after coming into conflict with Administrator Scott Pruitt over his spending and management decisions. At least five officials say they were punished for questioning Pruitt’s behavior—whether it was his fancy travel habits, pricey decorating choices, or over-the-top security requests. The agency moved two of the career EPA employees to positions with less decision-making power and less interaction with Pruitt, placed another official on administrative leave without pay, and told two others to leave altogether. An EPA spokesperson denies the connection between the officials’ opinions and their fates within the agency, but conversations with other agency employees tell a different story—one of a classic bully “sabotaging” otherwise “upstanding public servants.” The news comes during Pruitt’s tour of shame on the conservative news circuit, a last-ditch effort to defend himself against ever-multiplying ethics scandals.