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A Republican donor and Trump supporter helped Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt pick the head of the agency’s Science Advisory Board—which is “charged with reviewing EPA’s regulations,” Politico reports. Texas businessman Doug Deason submitted a list of names supplied by the Texas Public Policy Foundation for the role, according to emails obtained by the Sierra Club. Deason’s top recommendation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality toxicologist Michael Honeycutt, ended up getting the top adviser role. Deason and his father donated almost $1 million dollars to help elect Trump and other Republican candidates. The EPA defended its choice, telling the site that Honeycutt was a “well-qualified and respected toxicologist” who was “nominated by multiple people.”
Meanwhile, the president defended Pruitt on Friday morning, saying he was “doing a great job within the walls of the EPA,” while adding that he was not “blameless,” per the White House pool report.