Scott Pruitt Asked Top Donors, Aide to Help His Wife Find a Job

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt had an aide ask top Republican donors to help his wife find a job, and eventually found her a position at a conservative political group, according to The Washington Post. Marlyn Pruitt, a former school nurse, worked briefly at the Judicial Crisis Network after obtaining a referral from longtime Pruitt backer Leonard Leo. This revelation is yet another in a series of accusations that Pruitt inappropriately used public resources and violated ethics codes during his time as a public servant. As the Post notes, “Federal ethics rules prohibit public officials from using their posts for private gain or receiving free services or other gifts from their subordinates.” Virginia Cantor, of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told the Post that asking a full-time public employee to “become a headhunter for his spouse” was “highly inappropriate,” given that his wife’s job pursuits “would affect his financial interests.” “It’s above and beyond anything I’m aware of, with respect to any government employee,” Cantor added. Current and former EPA officials told the Post that “at no point” did Pruitt consult in-house ethics officials about his actions.