EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on Thursday blamed the “unrelenting attacks” from his critics as the reason he decided to step down from his post, in a letter that thanked President Trump for the chance to serve in the post, but didn’t apologize for his various ethics scandals.
“The unrelenting attacks on me personally, [and] my family are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us,” Pruitt said in his resignation letter to President Trump.
There are more than a dozen federal investigations into Pruitt’s spending, first-class travel, and hiring and firing decisions, among other issues.
Rather than dwell on those, Pruitt highlighted his regret at leaving before he could finish enacting a “historical” deregulatory agenda at EPA, in which he had begun delaying, weakening or killing rules meant to combat climate change.
“Mr. President it has been an honor to serve you,” Pruitt said. “Your confidence in me has blessed me personally and enabled to me to advance your agenda beyond what anyone anticipated at the beginning of your administration. Your courage, steadfastness and resolute commitment to get results for the American people, both with regard to improved environmental outcomes as well as historical regulatory reform, is in fact occurring at an unprecedented pace and I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and American people in helping achieve those ends.”
