"WASHINGTON — The Trump administration failed to follow ethics rules last year when it dismissed academic members of Environmental Protection Agency advisory boards and replaced them with appointees connected to industry, a federal watchdog agency concluded Monday.
The agency, the Government Accountability Office, found that the administration “did not consistently ensure” that appointees to E.P.A. advisory panels met federal ethics requirements. It also concluded that Trump administration officials violated E.P.A. guidelines by not basing the appointments on recommendations made by career staff members.
Scott Pruitt, President Trump’s first E.P.A. administrator who resigned last year amid ethics scandals, remade the agency’s science advisory panels because he said they did not fairly represent the United States geographically, or the industries affected by regulations."
Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times July 15, 2019.
SEE ALSO:
"GAO: EPA Skirted Procedures In Overhaul Of Science Boards" (AP)
"EPA Advisory Committees: Improvements Needed for the Member Appointment Process" (GAO-19-280)
"Watchdog Finds EPA Skirted Rules When Appointing Industry Leaders To Science Boards" (The Hill)
GAO: EPA Skirts Protocol On Advisory Panels (Greenwire)
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