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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe New York Times Does an In-Depth History of Scott Pruitt's Corruption
Scott Pruitt Before the E.P.A.: Fancy Homes, a Shell Company and Friends With MoneyHere's just a bit of it--and it gets worse as it goes on:
Early in Scott Pruitts political career, as a state senator from Tulsa, he attended a gathering at the Oklahoma City home of an influential telecommunications lobbyist who was nearing retirement and about to move away.
The lobbyist said that after the 2003 gathering, Mr. Pruitt who had a modest legal practice and a state salary of $38,400 reached out to her. He wanted to buy her showplace home as a second residence for when he was in the state capital.
For those ego-minded politicians, it would be pretty cool to have this house close to the capitol, said the lobbyist, Marsha Lindsey. It was stunning.
Soon Mr. Pruitt was staying there, and so was at least one other lawmaker, according to interviews. Mr. Pruitt even bought Ms. Lindseys dining room set, art and antique rugs, she said.
A review of real estate and other public records shows that Mr. Pruitt was not the sole owner: The property was held by a shell company registered to a business partner and law school friend, Kenneth Wagner. Mr. Wagner now holds a top political job at the Environmental Protection Agency, where Mr. Pruitt, 49, is the administrator.
According to real estate records, the 2003 purchase of the house for $375,000 came at a steep discount of about $100,000 from what Ms. Lindsey had paid a year earlier a shortfall picked up by her employer, the telecom giant SBC Oklahoma.
SBC, previously known as Southwestern Bell and later as AT&T, had been lobbying lawmakers in the early 2000s on a range of matters, including a deregulation bill that would allow it to raise rates and a separate regulatory effort to reopen a bribery case from a decade earlier. Mr. Pruitt sided with the company on both matters, state records show.
In 2005, the shell company Capitol House L.L.C. sold the property for $95,000 more than it had paid. While shell companies are legal, they often obscure the people who have an interest in them, and none of Mr. Pruitts financial disclosure filings in Oklahoma mentioned the company or the proceeds a potential violation of the states ethics rules.
The Oklahoma City deal, which has not been previously reported, was one of several instances in which Mr. Pruitt appeared to have benefited from his relationships with Mr. Kelly and Mr. Wagner while in state politics.
During his eight years as a Republican state senator, Mr. Pruitt also upgraded his family residence in suburban Tulsa from a small ranch-style home to a lakefront property in a gated community. In addition, he bought a sizable stake in a minor league baseball team, and took a second job at Mr. Wagners corporate law firm. Mr. Kellys bank, SpiritBank, would be there for much of it providing financing for Mr. Pruitts Tulsa home and his stake in the baseball team, as well as the mortgage for the Oklahoma City house.
Mr. Pruitts interactions with SBC also show that his blurring of lines with lobbyists has roots in his Oklahoma years. One of the issues at the E.P.A. that has gotten Mr. Pruitt in trouble with government watchdogs involved his renting a room in Washington for $50 a night from the wife of an energy lobbyist who has had business in front of the agency.
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The New York Times Does an In-Depth History of Scott Pruitt's Corruption (Original Post)
Julian Englis
Apr 2018
OP
Strangely ironic that there can be an in-depth history of such a shallow man nt
Xipe Totec
Apr 2018
#3
It is way past time to put a stop to this thoroughly rotten and destructive crook.
dalton99a
Apr 2018
#5
He is the absolute worst. His only goal is to destroy the EPA and to enrich himself
smirkymonkey
Apr 2018
#7
California_Republic
(1,826 posts)1. Drain the sw....... nvm
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)2. Just goes to prove Pruitt has been EVIL for a very long long time
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)4. and he is not even 50 yet....jeez. n/t
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)3. Strangely ironic that there can be an in-depth history of such a shallow man nt
dalton99a
(81,451 posts)5. It is way past time to put a stop to this thoroughly rotten and destructive crook.
RandomAccess
(5,210 posts)6. Now why didn't all this come out during his confirmation hearings?
And why was he ever confirmed?
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)7. He is the absolute worst. His only goal is to destroy the EPA and to enrich himself
at the taxpayer's expense. I want to see all these criminals in prison.