A report EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt paid just $50 a night to rent a luxurious District condo owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist has drawn the eye of the White House, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
ABC News reported last week Pruitt paid well below market rate to stay in a Capitol Hill condominium linked to a prominent Washington lobbyist whose firm represents a roster of fossil fuel companies, and The New York Times on Monday reported the EPA approved a project for one of the lobbyist's companies while Pruitt was living in the condo.
The Trump administration is launching an inquiry to "dig a little deeper" into the rental agreement, according to an official who spoke with the Journal. The EPA came to Pruitt's defense, saying the lease agreement did not violate federal ethics rules.
"As EPA career ethics officials stated in a memo, Administrator Pruitt's housing arrangement for both himself and family was not a gift and the lease was consistent with federal ethics regulations," EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox said.