Scott Pruitt, an asshole, was Donald Trump's pick to head the EPA.
When Pruitt moved to DC, he needed lodgings. Being an asshole, he decided to literally move in with some lobbyists who had business before the EPA.
These lobbyists, Vicki and Steven Hart, had also been donors to Pruitt's Oklahoma election campaigns. They also happen to lobby for an Oklahoma fossil fuel company affected by Pruitt's decisions in Oklahoma; the Harts also lobby the EPA on behalf of these Oklahoma climate wreckers.
The Harts charged Pruitt — whose net worth is between $1 million and $5 million — a mere $50/night to live in their home and comped him for the nights he didn't stay. It was well below market rate, but even so, Pruitt did not pay his rent on time.
Pruitt was supposed to be out of the Harts' home in April 2017, but remained there until August, ignoring increasingly urgent hints from the Harts that they wanted him home (including the addresses of other places he could rent!), until finally, out of desperation, they changed the locks, evicting him.
Donald Trump's press secretary said that Pruitt is "doing a good job."
The White House's support comes as Trump has been hearing directly from supporters of Pruitt, including oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm.A person familiar with the conversation said Hamm urged the President in at least one conversation this week to consider what substantive moves Pruitt has made at the EPA when determining his fate, not simply the scandals making daily headlines. Hamm is the latest in a string of conservative supporters to come to Pruitt's defense, including The Wall Street Journal's editorial page.
Hamm, a major Trump donor who sat in a VIP box at the President's inauguration, is the founder and CEO of Continental Resources. He's one of the leading Oklahoma oil and gas executives who had a close relationship with Pruitt.
Trump meets with Pruitt amid mounting controversy [Rene Marsh, Jeff Zeleny, Jeremy Diamond, Sophie Tatum and Elizabeth Landers/CNN]
(Image: Tim Patterson, CC-BY-SA)