Donald Trumps EPA Pick Championed Exxon Mobil After Donations To Association He Led

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Donald Trump’s EPA Pick Championed Exxon Mobil After Donations To Association He Led

Scott Pruitt’s ties to the fossil fuel industry run alarmingly deep.

By Alexander C. Kaufman - 12/22/2016 03:55 pm ET

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, became one of Exxon Mobil Corp.’s fiercest defenders this year as the oil giant battled legal probes into its funding of climate science deniers.

Exxon Mobil, meanwhile, served as a major donor to the Republican Attorneys General Association, of which the Oklahoma attorney general served as chairman in 2012 and ‘13 and remains a member.

The company donated $50,000 to the group in April, a month earlier than usual, this year. The firm gave the same amount in May of last year, and $60,000 the same month in 2014, according to data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Exxon Mobil has a long history of donating to Republican organizations, and Pruitt has deep ties to the fossil fuel industry.

However, the extent to which Pruitt led the charge to defend the company against investigations by other state attorneys general appears set to become a flashpoint for opponents during his Senate confirmation hearings next year. ..

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/scott-pruitt-exxon-mobil_us_585ab45de4b0d9a59456ba9d