Democratic lawmaker challenges Pruitt

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EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Road to Majority Policy Conference, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, on June 8, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Environmental Protection Agency emails show that Administrator Scott Pruitt’s top aides were told to review public records releases under the Freedom of Information Act.

The emails from EPA Chief of Staff Ryan Jackson and a top legal counsel lay out a system for Pruitt’s political appointees to review any FOIA record releases. Jackson calls it a “centralization pilot project.”

House Oversight Committee Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland writes in a letter to Pruitt on Monday that he is concerned the administrator is avoiding releasing public records. EPA spokespeople did not immediately return a request for comment.

Pruitt is dealing with a series of ongoing federal investigations regarding alleged ethical misconduct. Several of the allegations came to light through EPA documents released under the federal open records law.