Scott Pruitt’s resignation should be good news. As former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, he is the subject of at least 13 investigations. His rampage through the EPA is the stuff of legend, and it will feature prominently in annual ethics training sessions across the executive branch for years to come. We are, indeed, fortunate to be rid of him, but the wreckage he leaves behind is no cause for celebration.
Pruitt’s tenure establishes conclusively that President Trump doesn’t care about government ethics, and Congress won’t do anything about it. Pruitt may have been the most extreme offender, but the Trump administration is failing to live up to the animating principles of public service. In some sense, Pruitt’s failures represent a broader failure of government.
Following the announcement of Pruitt’s resignation, the president expressed gratitude for Pruitt’s government service and told reporters he remained unbothered by the allegations of misconduct. Perhaps even more troubling is the complicity of certain members of Congress who could have done more to demand the White House rein in or remove Pruitt. To his credit, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is investigating several of the allegations against Pruitt. But others with the power to conduct meaningful oversight failed to fulfill their constitutional duty.
