Thousands of emails detail EPA heads close ties to fossil fuel industry
Nothing terribly new here, except for the cooroboration.
Thousands of emails detail EPA head’s close ties to fossil fuel industry
Oklahoma has turned over thousands of pages of emails between former attorney general Scott Pruitt’s office and the energy industry, meeting a deadline set by a judge who ordered the documents’ release following more than two years of effort by an advocacy organization.
The Center for Media and Democracy, which went to court to compel the state to release the emails under public records laws, said Wednesday that they offer more details about the close ties that Pruitt, now administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has long had with the oil and gas industry. (The emails can be viewed here.)
Some of the emails also show a close relationship with Devon Energy, a major oil and gas exploration and production company based in Oklahoma City. Much of the correspondence revolves around arranging speaking engagements, obtaining contact information for people at the federal Office of Management and Budget and coordinating letter-writing efforts.
At one point, Pruitt’s then-chief of staff, Melissa Houston, wrote in a Jan. 9, 2013, email to William Whitsitt, Devon’s vice president for public affairs, “You are so amazingly helpful!!! Thank you so much!!!”
