EPA watchdog announces new probe into Pruitt's emails

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) inspector general said it is investigating EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s use of nonpublic email accounts, the latest in a series of federal investigations into the agency chief. The inspector general, an independent office within the EPA, will look into whether Pruitt is keeping a record of his emails, as he is mandated to by federal law, and whether the EPA is searching all his accounts when fulfilling public records requests. Members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee — ranking member Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) — released a letter dated May 2 that confirmed the investigation. Past EPA administrators also used nonpublic email accounts for everyday communication, according to Politico. The latest probe comes as Pruitt faces scrutiny over ethical and spending controversies. It also ups the total number of federal investigations into the administrator’s behavior to a dozen...MORE