Embattled EPA chief Scott Pruitt reportedly lobbied Trump to fire Jeff Sessions so he could run the Justice Department
- Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt reportedly lobbied President Donald Trump to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions and temporarily appoint him to run the Justice Department.
- According to a CNN report published Tuesday night, Pruitt wanted to run the DOJ temporarily under the Vacancies Reform Act, which would have allowed him to stay in the post for as many as 210 days. He would return to Oklahoma to run for office.
- Pruitt reportedly appealed to Trump in the spring and asked to replace the attorney general for 210 days under the Vacancies Reform Act, after which he would return to his home state of Oklahoma and run for office.
- Trump's advisers reportedly balked at Pruitt's suggestion, even though it came around the same time Trump was publicly railing against Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation.
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt reportedly lobbied President Donald Trump to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions and temporarily appoint him to run the Justice Department.
According to a CNN report published Tuesday night, Pruitt wanted to run the DOJ temporarily under the Vacancies Reform Act, which would have allowed him to stay in the post for as many as 210 days. He would return to Oklahoma to run for office.
Trump's advisers reportedly balked at Pruitt's suggestion, even though it came at a time when Trump was publicly railing against Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation.
Rumors of Pruitt eyeing Sessions's spot circulated around Capitol Hill earlier this year: "Pruitt is very interested," a person close to Pruitt said in January, according to Politico. "He has expressed that on a number of occasions."
In April, Trump denied the rumors on Twitter.
News of Pruitt's request to Trump comes amid a series of scandals involving the administrator. In another CNN report published Monday, a whistleblower claimed Pruitt had kept "secret" calendars to hide "controversial meetings" and phone calls with industry representatives.
Trump appeared to be aware of Pruitt's alleged actions, but said the administrator was doing a "fantastic job" at the EPA.
"I'm not happy about certain things," Trump said in June. "But he's done a fantastic job running the EPA, which is very overriding. But I am not happy about it."
Pruitt served as Oklahoma's attorney general for six year, and prior to that, the Oklahoma State Senate.