# Scott Pruitt **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 3, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360 "2018-06-03T15:59:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/61 "2018-06-07T22:49:34Z")
Pruitt’s corruption just more and more [ridiculous and petty](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/06/07/pruitt-enlisted-security-detail-in-picking-up-dry-cleaning-moisturizing-lotion): > [@](#): > > Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt asked members of his 24/7 security detail to run errands for him on occasion, including picking up his dry cleaning and taking him in search of a favorite moisturizing lotion… I can’t help hearing Kirk growling at one of the local mobsters in “A Piece of the Action”: _“You’re a penny-ante operator!”_ ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2018, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/62 "2018-06-07T23:11:00Z")
Trump’s track record of appointees is actually quite remarkable, and much different than what you would get by just picking random incompetents, even if your sample is biased by picking only Republicans. You really have to work at it to get such a flawless blend of corruption, incompetence, and far-right lunacy with not a single redeeming feature or glimmer of intelligence. I really haven’t seen anything like it outside of science fiction; I’m thinking of the wonderful Cyril M. Kornbluth short story [_The Marching Morons_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons). ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/63 "2018-06-08T19:19:12Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > If he says the only acceptable way is for him to do what he wants, how could the court say otherwise? The “only acceptable way” isn’t part of the test. As long it’s a compelling government interest the next part of the test is just whether there’s a way that infringes **less**. If there’s not, the court can order him to follow the law. Which would be a great time for a judge to work “suck it up or quit” into a decision. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/64 "2018-06-08T21:51:26Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Trump’s track record of appointees is actually quite remarkable, and much different than what you would get by just picking random incompetents, even if your sample is biased by picking only Republicans. You really have to work at it to get such a flawless blend of corruption, incompetence, and far-right lunacy with not a single redeeming feature or glimmer of intelligence. I really haven’t seen anything like it outside of science fiction; I’m thinking of the wonderful Cyril M. Kornbluth short story [_The Marching Morons_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons). One of his state campaign managers is into child slavery. I wouldn’t know where to find someone to run a campaign at the state level _or_ sell me an eight year old sex slave but Trump managed to find such _in one person_. Remarkable indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/65 "2018-06-08T22:28:00Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > The “only acceptable way” isn’t part of the test. As long it’s a compelling government interest the next part of the test is just whether there’s a way that infringes **less**. If there’s not, the court can order him to follow the law. > > Which would be a great time for a judge to work “suck it up or quit” into a decision. I know the test; I was suggesting that there was no less infringing way, according to Mr. Pruitt. I hadn’t considered a court finding that no less infringing way meant they would order that the law must be followed :smack:; thanks for pointing that out. I agree it would be a hoot for a court decision to boil down to that for Mr. Pruitt. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/66 "2018-06-13T22:46:24Z")
More from the shitgibbon’s corrupt-as-fuck EPA chief: [Pruitt enlisted EPA aide, donors to find his wife a job](https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/13/politics/scott-pruitt-marlyn-donors-job/index.html) > [@](#): > > Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt used one of his aides to ask his big money donors for assistance in finding his wife a job, The Washington Post reports. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/67 "2018-06-13T23:22:15Z")
It really seems odd that a person in Pruilet’s position would have such a hard time collecting grift-graft that his wife should need a job. I mean, if the madministration is going to hire slimeballs, you would at least hope they could find one capable of sliming a ball. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/68 "2018-06-14T00:45:44Z")
Pruitt’s grifting has always been on the penny-ante level, aimed at obtaining fancy hors d’oeuvres, free lunches, and airplane travel. He hasn’t taken very much to the bank. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/69 "2018-06-14T01:03:05Z")
Hmmm. If that’s the case, I wonder if maybe Trump and the others keep him around as a bit of comedic “noob” affectation, in part. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/70 "2018-06-15T19:27:32Z")
[Trump: ‘Pruitt’s graft okay because of the way he is dismantling the EPA’](https://apnews.com/e8d61dddccbb4f549d3edb1aed316e2a/Trump-says-Pruitt's-work-at-EPA-overrides-ethics-concerns): > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump said Friday that his unhappiness with Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt over ethical misconduct allegations is being overridden by the “fantastic job” he is doing at the agency. > > “I’m looking at Scott,” Trump told reporters in a question-and-answer session on the White House driveway. “I’m not happy about certain things,” he said, repeating the same phrase three times. > > But at the same time, Trump praised Pruitt’s performance at the EPA, where the administrator has initiated repeated rollbacks of Obama-era regulations. That, Trump said, “is very overriding.” What a fucking horse’s ass of a country we’ve become. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/71 "2018-06-15T23:33:15Z")
Latest Pruitt news: Pruitt grifted his daughter admission to the law school of the University of Virginia, plus into a coveted internship at the White House. The best part is he makes his minions do all his footwork. Nice roundup here: > **[For Pruitt Aides, the Boss’s Personal Life Was Part of the Job (Published 2018)](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/15/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-aides.html)** > > Senior staff members at the E.P.A. said they frequently felt pressured by Scott Pruitt to help in nonwork matters and obtain favors for his family. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/72 "2018-06-21T19:39:29Z")
[http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/393373-new-disclosures-show-pruitt-spent-nearly-3k-on-tactical-pants-and](http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/393373-new-disclosures-show-pruitt-spent-nearly-3k-on-tactical-pants-and) Wow – almost a whole week since the last “Pruitt did something deplorable” post. But to keep us up to date on our [illustrious EPA Secretary](http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/393373-new-disclosures-show-pruitt-spent-nearly-3k-on-tactical-pants-and) (hope the link works - I’m breaking in a new computer). > [@](#): > > Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt spent nearly $3,000 on “tactical pants” and “tactical polos,” according to new disclosures cited Wednesday by The Intercept. The article doesn’t say whether these are for personal use. Maybe he just wants his security detail to look spiffy. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/73 "2018-06-21T19:45:28Z")
Are the pants fireproof? That would seem to be his most urgent need in that regard… ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/74 "2018-06-22T02:31:47Z")
On Twitter, @popehat weighs in on tactical pants… > [@@popehat](#): > > If you ask me the ideal tactical pants would have: > > 1. Auto-expand waistband > 2. Nacho-cheese-repelling veneer > 3. Thigh-Quiet ™ technology to suppress swooshing noise when I walk > 4. Separate pockets for each kind of m&m I like ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/75 "2018-06-22T02:43:41Z")
The sound of fried mayonnaise buckets being dropped is momentarily deafening before a cry goes up in the midwest: “SELL ME THOSE PANTS!” ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/76 "2018-06-22T18:21:33Z")
Pruitt’s official email account shows only one email sent outside of the EPA in his entire tenure. Is he using a private email account? > **[Probe Finds—Come On—Only One Email to Outside EPA in Pruitt Outbox?](https://www.thedailybeast.com/probe-of-pruitts-email-accounts-uncovers-just-one-sent-message)** > > Implausible number has watchdogs questioning how he’s really communicating. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2018, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/77 "2018-06-22T18:43:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Pruitt’s official email account shows only one email sent outside of the EPA in his entire tenure. Is he using a private email account? Now I have a mental image of him dashing into the cone of silence and making a frantic phone call warning his correspondent that he’d accidentally sent a message on the official account and they’d have to put that particular scheme on hold until the coast was clear. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/78 "2018-06-25T18:20:18Z")
New investigation of the EPA over retaliation for people who don’t toe the Pruitt line. [https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/25/politics/pruitt-retaliation-investigation/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/25/politics/pruitt-retaliation-investigation/index.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/79 "2018-06-25T22:03:47Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > New investigation of the EPA over retaliation for people who don’t toe the Pruitt line. > [https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/25/politics/pruitt-retaliation-investigation/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/25/politics/pruitt-retaliation-investigation/index.html)? From your cite: > [@](#): > > This investigation review becomes at least the 14th federal probe into Pruitt’s spending and ethics. This is encouraging. If we are ever to recover from the Trump Administration’s relentless attacks on the rule of law, protection for whistle-blowers is a crucial element of the process. Documenting abuses, as with these 14 (!!!) investigations, is a necessary step. _Dis_couraging, of course, is that with 14 investigations, Pruitt is still sitting on his throne. How proud Trump’s voters must be of what they’ve wrought. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2018, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360/80 "2018-07-05T20:05:53Z")
About fucking time: [Scott Pruitt Resigns](https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/05/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-resigns/index.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scott-pruitt/815360.md?page=5)