"David Dunlap participated in discussions related to formaldehyde after he had informed ethics officials he intended to steer clear of the issue."
"The Trump administration official leading the Environmental Protection Agency’s research office took part in conversations about a health assessment of formaldehyde even while planning to recuse himself from the issue because of his previous work for one of the country's biggest producers of the toxic substance.
David Dunlap, a former chemicals expert for Koch Industries, participated in email discussions related to the assessment at least twice after he had informed agency ethics officials that he intended to steer clear of the issue, according to documents POLITICO obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. He finally signed his recusal in December, on the same day EPA officially killed the assessment after blocking its release for more than a year.
Independent watchdogs said Dunlap's involvement raises concerns about whether he improperly influenced EPA's actions on formaldehyde, which is widely used in wood composites, building materials, insulation, fabrics and glue. As deputy assistant administrator for science policy, Dunlap is the top political official in EPA’s Office of Research and Development — a post that allowed him to avoid the Senate confirmation process."
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