Jahan Wilcox, the Environmental Protection Agency spokesman who once called a reporter “a piece of trash,” has officially resigned from his post less than a week after his boss Scott Pruitt chose to do the same.
Wilcox is leaving Washington to work on Republican political campaigns, he said in a statement.
“It’s been a privilege to advance President Trump’s agenda of environmental stewardship and regulatory reform,” Wilcox said in a statement on Tuesday. “Now it’s time to focus on helping Republicans in November.”
Wilcox had been at the forefront in defending Pruitt from the near-daily allegations of ethics rule violations, including high-priced travel and questionable security expenses, which resulted in over a dozen federal investigations that are still ongoing.
Pruitt is replaced by acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. EPA announced Tuesday that Wheeler will address all agency employees Wednesday afternoon.
