Scott Pruitt

Scott Pruitt
Name	Scott Pruitt
Birth date	November 9, 1968
Birth place	Glenpool, Oklahoma
Occupation	Attorney, Politician
Office	14th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Term	February 17, 2017 – July 5, 2018
Predecessor	Gina McCarthy
Successor	Andrew Wheeler
Alma mater	University of Tulsa; University of Oklahoma College of Law

Scott Pruitt

Scott Pruitt is an American attorney and Republican politician known for his leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency during the administration of Donald Trump. A former state senator and long-serving Attorney General of Oklahoma, Pruitt became a polarizing national figure for his legal challenges to federal environmental regulation and his advocacy for states' rights, energy development, and regulatory rollback. His tenure at the EPA was marked by aggressive deregulatory initiatives, extensive legal and ethical scrutiny, and debates within Congress and the press over administrative conduct.

Early life and education

Pruitt was born in Glenpool, Oklahoma and raised in Cushing, Oklahoma, the son of a small-business owner and a bank employee, linking him to communities in Tulsa County, Oklahoma and Payne County, Oklahoma. He attended Cushing High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Central State College, which later became part of the University of Central Oklahoma, and subsequently a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. During his formative years he engaged with regional institutions including the Oklahoma Republican Party, local chambers of commerce, and civic organizations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Legal and political career

Pruitt began his legal career in private practice and served in roles connected to state and federal litigation, interacting with firms and courts in Oklahoma County and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. His political career included election to the Oklahoma State Senate, where he served on committees concerned with energy and judiciary matters alongside legislators from districts in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. He cultivated alliances with national figures in the Republican National Committee, conservative groups such as the American Conservative Union and legal networks including the Federalist Society. Pruitt later transitioned to statewide office, running within the political landscape shaped by figures like Mary Fallin and collaborating with state attorneys and officials in litigation against federal regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Land Management.

Tenure as Oklahoma Attorney General

Elected as Attorney General of Oklahoma, Pruitt served multiple terms where he pursued litigation challenging rules promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act interpretations, and regulations affecting the energy industry, including coal and natural gas interests. He joined multi-state lawsuits with attorneys general from states including Texas, West Virginia, and Alabama to contest federal actions from administrations led by Barack Obama and others. Pruitt forged legal strategies with organizations such as the Pacific Legal Foundation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and industry trade groups, and he engaged with state regulatory bodies like the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. His office advanced cases before venues such as the Supreme Court of the United States and the Tenth Circuit, and he advocated for state sovereignty doctrines grounded in precedents from cases involving the Commerce Clause and federal preemption doctrine.

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency

Nominated by President Donald Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate, Pruitt became Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in 2017. As head of the EPA he moved to rescind or revise major Obama-era initiatives including the Clean Power Plan, fuel efficiency and emissions guidance tied to the Paris Agreement, and regulations concerning methane emissions. Pruitt prioritized deregulatory rollbacks, reorganizations of agency priorities, and substitution of career scientists with political appointees linked to policy teams from the White House and the Department of Energy. His administration interacted with stakeholders ranging from ExxonMobil and Peabody Energy to environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council, and his rulemaking and guidance produced litigation in federal courts and commentary in major outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Ethics controversies and investigations

While serving at the EPA, Pruitt became the subject of extensive ethical scrutiny and investigations by congressional committees, the Office of Special Counsel, and the Department of Justice inspector general. Allegations included use of first-class travel, office renovations, rental arrangements connected to energy industry associates, and staffing decisions that appeared to benefit political allies and former colleagues from the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office. High-profile inquiries involved testimony before the United States Senate and subpoenas from committees chaired by figures such as Senator Tom Carper and Senator John Barrasso. Ethics probes referenced federal statutes, Office of Government Ethics standards, and potential violations of appropriations and disclosure rules; these controversies precipitated calls for resignation from members of both parties and from advocacy groups including Public Citizen and the League of Conservation Voters.

Post-EPA activities and later career

Following his resignation in 2018, Pruitt returned to private life and engagements with conservative legal and policy organizations, participating in events with institutions such as the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and state-level think tanks. He pursued consulting, speaking engagements, and public commentary that addressed regulatory reform, energy policy, and litigation strategy, interacting with media outlets including Fox News, CNBC, and Bloomberg. Pruitt’s post-EPA trajectory has involved ongoing public scrutiny and periodic involvement in political circles in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., influencing debates over administrative law, federalism, and the regulatory role of agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior.

Category:Living people Category:People from Oklahoma Category:United States political officeholders