Pruitt dined with Cardinal accused of sexual abuse: report

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Pruitt dined with Cardinal accused of sexual abuse: report

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt reportedly dined in Rome last year with a Catholic leader who was under investigation at the time for child sexual abuse, according to newly published records.

The New York Times on Thursday released a series of internal communications obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request that show Pruitt dined at a five-star restaurant with Cardinal George Pell in June 2017. Pell, like Pruitt, has expressed skepticism about man-made climate change.

FOLLOW ALONG WITH US HERE, as we walk through a FASCINATING collection of documents The NYT has pulled together about a certain dinner in Rome that EPA's Scott Pruitt had last June with Cardinal Pell, who is now facing sexual abuse charges. (PLEASE CREDIT NYT )@LFFriedman pic.twitter.com/IZ4EIu3xfu

— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) May 10, 2018
Documents obtained by the Times show that EPA officials began planning for the dinner in May 2017. Pell had also offered to give Pruitt a tour of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, which apparently did not take place.

The Times reported that none of the EPA schedules from that day noted that Pell was at the dinner with Pruitt.

Prior to the trip, EPA officials learned that Pell was under investigation, according to The New York Times' Eric Lipton.

Pell has since been put on trial related to charges of sexual abuse spanning decades.

The EPA didn't immediately respond to a request to comment from The Hill on Thursday night.

Pruitt has come under intense scrutiny in recent months amid a slew of ethics controversies.

Previous reports have revealed that Pruitt racked up millions of dollars worth of travel and security expenses, including reportedly bringing his detail to Disneyland and the Rose Bowl. Pruitt justified his first-class travel by saying it was based on security precautions.

He has also come under fire for renting a Capitol Hill condo from the wife of an energy lobbyist for $50 each day he stayed there, and constructing a $43,000 soundproof booth in his office.

During testimony on Capitol Hill last month, Pruitt said those controversies were largely matters handled by his staff or distractions from his agency's efforts to carry out Trump's agenda.

White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said Thursday that President Trump is "pleased with the job that he is doing." However, the White House has said it is hopeful Pruitt can answer questions about his ethical controversies.

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Eric Lipton
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FOLLOW ALONG WITH US HERE, as we walk through a FASCINATING collection of documents The NYT has pulled together about a certain dinner in Rome that EPA's Scott Pruitt had last June with Cardinal Pell, who is now facing sexual abuse charges. (PLEASE CREDIT NYT )@LFFriedman



Emails obtained via FOIA show that planning for this dinner started in May 2017. It was not a last minute, Cardinal Pell happen to show up event, as has been reported elsewhere






Documents show that there was also discussion of Cardinal Pell giving EPA's Scott Pruitt and senior members of his EPA team a private tour at the Vatican Apostolic Palace. This tour apparently did not take place. But it was planned. Here is a State Department Doc.





Agency staff had vetted the schedule--before the trip--and learned that Cardinal Pell was under investigation.

While at the dinner, a senior political aide to Mr. Pruitt sent an email saying she was there with Mr. Pruitt, having dinner with Cardinal Pell at La Terrazza



Dinner at La Terrazza is not cheap. It costs $240 per person, before wine and other stuff for the tasting menu. Pruitt, his chief of staff and senior political adviser were there, along with Leonard Leo, of the Federalist Society, Cardinal Pell, among others.




Here are a few more documents. FOUR different calendars that have been put out by the EPA covering this day. None of them mention that Cardinal Pell was at the dinner. Here is the FIRST



Here is the SECOND Version of that same itinerary. (They revised the schedule a number of times) Again, no mention of Cardinal Pell.




Here is the THIRD version of the schedule from that day. The NYT sued to get this document via FOIA. But as is common for EPA, it includes very few of the actual events on Mr. Pruitt's sked that day. And what he did do that day, was entirely redacted from public view.



And here is the FOURTH version of the calendar from that day, this one posted on the EPA website. Again, only a few of the many things that Pruitt actually did that day.




(One clarification: Pruitt did take the tour of Apostolic Palace. It is just that tour was not led by Cardinal Pell, apparently)

Here is a whole collection of documents assembled by The NYT that looks at this get together with Cardinal Pell--the planning for the dinner in May, the schedule from the actual dinner, and the official agency calendars. Just thought we would share it all.

Bury the lead:: SCOTT PRUITT dined at a 5-star restaurant with a Cardinal who is a climate change skeptic, even though @EPA staff knew the Cardinal was under investigation for child sex abuse. The Cardinal's name is not included in schedules released at least so far under FOIA.
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