Washington Post editorial board calls for Pruitt’s firing in scathing editorial

The Washington Post’s editorial board on Friday called for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to be fired.

In an editorial titled “Scott Pruitt is unfit to serve,” the Post details the numerous ethical controversies swirling around Pruitt, referring to the situation as a “category 5 storm.”

“In any normal administration, Mr. Pruitt would be gone,” the editorial board wrote. “Instead, even as revelations about Mr. Pruitt piled up this week, Mr. Trump was reportedly still entertaining the idea of installing Mr. Pruitt as attorney general, a position for which his primary qualification may be willingness to squelch the Russia investigation.”

“An ideologue who has arrogantly abused his position, Mr. Pruitt does not deserve a promotion,” the board adds. “He deserves to be fired.”

Pruitt has repeatedly been in the spotlight over his personal spending, including frequent first-class travel on taxpayer money and the use of a full-time security detail. He was criticized last year after it was reported that the EPA installed a soundproof phone booth for $43,000 in his office, despite there being a similar facility elsewhere in the agency headquarters.

{mosads}Most recently, Pruitt has come under fire after it was reported that he rented a condo from the wife of an energy lobbyist for $50 a night, and only on the nights he stayed there.

In recent weeks it was also reported that Pruitt gave large raises to two of his favorite aides, despite the White House rejecting the raises.

Since the Post’s editorial was published, it was also reported that Pruitt’s security detail has cost taxpayers at least $3 million.

Trump has defended Pruitt, taking to Twitter again on Saturday to stick up for him against the controversies. He tweeted that the condo arrangement and high travel expenses were “OK.”

While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA. Record clean Air & Water while saving USA Billions of Dollars. Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2018