The Atlantic last week reported that Pruitt raises granted to two of his assistants in the protection of the environment on the basis of the Provisions of the law On drinking water safety after the White house personnel office has denied raises. Reportedly, Pruitt provided more than $50,000 to raise the political Advisor to Sarah Greenwalt, who has previously worked as General counsel for Pruitt in Oklahoma, bringing her salary to more than 160 000$. He also reportedly sought 28,000 $to raise a helper who worked for his political team and now works as Director of planning at the Agency. The raise brought her salary to more than $114,000.
This provision in the Law On drinking water safety States the EPA administrator may assign up to 30 people outside the normal Federal laws employment if this is seen as “necessary for the performance of its functions” related to safe drinking water.
Pruitt denied that he knew about the raises in an interview on Fox News last week and said he cancelled it when he found out.
“I didn’t do. My staff did. I found out about this yesterday and changed it. This process needs to be respected and I made a statement, those back wages that should not have been given,” he said, adding that “those employees who were involved in this process had to do what they did.”
Told two officials of EPA ABC news that Pruitt knew about it and supported higher wages. One of the officials told ABC news that “the second we saw an interview with Fox we all said he was lying.”
The EPA has not responded to a request for comment Monday.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersEnvironmental protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt listens as President Donald trump holds a Cabinet meeting in the White house, April 9, 2018.
Senator Tom Karper, D-Del., the ranking member on environment and public works Committee, which provides oversight for environmental protection, wrote on Twitter that he and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, d-R. I., also a source told the EPA that the statement Pruitt is not true. The senators wrote to the EPA on Monday, the interrogation of Pruitt’s claims that he did not know about the raises and ask for copies of all documents and communication related to the decision to grant the raises.
In the letter, the senators write that after an interview with “Fox news”, the senators received information from the EPA official who says “directly contradicts” the statement Pruitt in an interview.
The senators have not disclosed their source, so it is unclear if this is the same man that talked to ABC news.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also requests the government to consider raises in his letter on Monday. Duckworth on environment and public works Committee as well.
The Atlantic reported on Monday that the staff of EPA is known to an email from one of the assistants and human resources, in which she stated that Pruitt was aware of and supported her up.
Head of EPA employees Ryan Jackson said in a statement in the Atlantic that Pruitt had no knowledge occurs and that these personnel actions are carried out according to him, employees of personnel agencies and personnel with the office of the President.
“Pruitt administrator zero knowledge of the amount of raises or the process by which they occurred,” Jackson said in a statement, according to the Atlantic, adding that “any reports claiming otherwise is simply not true.”
Internal watchdog the protection of the environment is currently in a contract in accordance with this law and raises are subject to this investigation.
Duckworth wrote that if a person EPA approved raises without the knowledge of Pruitt, he said in an interview with “Fox news”, UPS violate the Federal law. She said in her letter that there is “enough evidence” that an employee who has satisfied the raises violated the Antideficiency act, which prohibits Federal employees from the authorization of expenditures that exceed the taxpayers ‘ money, allocated for this purpose.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
