Al Drago/Reuters
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, already facing an onslaught of allegations of ethics violations, reportedly put the former treasurer of his political action committee in charge of the agency’s records office—a move critics fear has allowed him to hide his most controversial meetings and trips. Internal emails cited by Politico on Tuesday show that Pruitt placed Elizabeth Beacham White in charge of the agency’s Office of the Executive Secretariat, which is tasked with handling Freedom of Information Act requests for the EPA. White’s name is not yet listed on the office’s website, but the EPA confirmed her role to Politico. Since she joined the office, information requests concerning Pruitt’s activities have routinely been delayed as a result of additional reviews that had not previously been required. “Someone so connected to Pruitt's past and future political ambitions would have a clear motive to slow the release of records that undermine his image,” Andrew Bergman, an adviser at the watchdog group the Project on Government Oversight, told Politico.