Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- On Friday, Mother Jones first reported that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has wasted $120,000 of taxpayer funds on a political political consulting firm. The funds went to Republican firm Definers Corp. On Sunday afternoon, the New York Times reported that an attorney working with the Republican consulting firm, America Rising, which is affiliated with Definers, has been filing FOIA requests on nearly every EPA staffer that speaks about the need to protect human health and the environment -- the Agency’s mission. Despite Definers claiming their contract does not include monitoring EPA employees, its president called for further scrutiny of those who work at the Agency. According to the Times, Definers and America Rising share at least nine current and former executives and an office building in Arlington, VA.
There have been hundreds of FOIA requests made to the EPA since Pruitt has taken over with many having been ignored or rejected or at times, forcing lawsuits to be filed to ensure the work is done, yet this Republican consulting firm has had their FOIA requests filled promptly. The Sierra Club has filed more than 35 FOIA requests with only 5 having produced a response. The Club has two pending lawsuits over EPA’s failure to fulfill its legal requirements in filling these requests.
In response, Sierra Club Resist Campaign Director Maura Cowley released the following statement:
“Scott Pruitt has not just abdicated his responsibility to protect the health of the public, he’s using taxpayer resources to launch a witch hunt against anyone at the EPA who actually tries to do her or his job. Pruitt is supposed to run the EPA, not a police state, and his shameless waste of taxpayer dollars to attack those simply trying to protect the public is a scandal of historic proportions. Pruitt isn’t only blocking the Agency from fulfilling its mission, it appears he’s attempting to shroud his work in secrecy by only answering FOIA requests from those partisan consultants potentially on his payroll. In Pruitt’s world, pollution will not only cloud our air and water, but also the truth.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.