House Democrats asked the government’s chief ethics officer to investigate Andrew Wheeler, the acting Environmental Protection Agency chief, for possible conflicts of interest.
Wheeler’s “past work as a coal lobbyist, and the many conflicts of interest which that work naturally presents to his leadership of the EPA demand that his meetings and communications be carefully scrutinized so that he is held to the highest ethical standard,” reads a letter sent Friday by four Democrats to the federal ethics office.
[Opinion: Why the Left will hate Andrew Wheeler at EPA even more than Scott Pruitt]
The letter follows reports on Wheeler’s public calendar that showed he met with former clients when he was an industry adviser.
“Andrew Wheeler is the Acting Administrator of the EPA because of the departure of Administrator Scott Pruitt, which occurred under a cloud of ethical controversy and scandal that tarnished the reputation of the Agency,” the Democrats said.
They want the ethics office to probe whether Wheeler’s meetings as acting administrator and deputy chief violated the administration’s ethics pledge that states that no appointee can engage with previous clients for two years.
They also want the ethics office to clarify which clients and regulatory matters warrant future recusals by Wheeler to conform with “both the spirit and the letter of ethics rules.”
Reps. Don Beyer of Virginia, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, and Jamie Raskin of Maryland all signed the letter.
The EPA ethics office defended Wheeler over the meetings earlier on Friday. The office said the meetings comport with the bounds of Wheeler’s previous recusal statement.
The issue is likely to be raised next week at a hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where Wheeler is testifying.
The Senate is slated to remain in session during the August recess, which gave committee chairman Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., the opportunity to hold the committee hearing with Wheeler on Aug. 1.
The title of the hearing is “Examining EPA’s Agenda: Protecting the Environment and Allowing America’s Economy to Grow.”
