MSNBC Gives Hugh Hewitt ‘Verbal Warning’ for Personally Lobbying EPA

MSNBC gave its conservative weekend host Hugh Hewitt a “verbal warning” for personally lobbying the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up a toxic-waste site near his home. Politico reported Tuesday that Hewitt personally contacted EPA chief Scott Pruitt to arrange a meeting about the contaminated site with a law firm that directly pays Hewitt and represents the Orange County Water District. Following the meeting, the EPA moved the site up on its priority list. In a Wednesday statement provided to The Daily Beast, an MSNBC spokesperson said of the ordeal: “Hugh Hewitt disclosed several times to MSNBC viewers that he has a friendship with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and also that Hewitt’s son works for the agency. As a result of those relationships, Hewitt stopped discussing EPA-related matters on MSNBC. However, after the network learned Tuesday that Hewitt set up an EPA meeting in the fall, he was given a verbal warning as such activity is a violation of our standards.”