June 5, 2018

Scott Pruitt Wants to Run a Chick-fil-A Because Of Course He Does

Tom Williams/Congressional Quarterly/Newscom via ZUMA

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Oh come on. This is entering bad sitcom territory:

Three months after Scott Pruitt was sworn in as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, his executive scheduler emailed Dan Cathy, chairman and president of the fast food company Chick-fil-A, with an unusual request: Would Cathy meet with Pruitt to discuss “a potential business opportunity”? A call was arranged, then canceled, and Pruitt eventually spoke with someone from the company’s legal department. Only then did he reveal the “opportunity” on his mind was a job for his wife, Marlyn.

“The subject of that phone call was an expression of interest in his wife becoming a Chick-fil-A franchisee,” company representative Carrie Kurlander told The Washington Post via email.

It’s not just that this stuff is wrong, it’s that it’s so hilariously penny ante and ridiculous. Pruitt seems to think he was appointed archduke of a presidential fiefdom or something, complete with courtiers, imperial writs, and Amway dealerships. Why don’t Republicans get rid of him? There are plenty of people willing to destroy the environment, so Pruitt is hardly irreplaceable. Do they really not care what a laughingstock he’s making of the party with his embarrassingly nickel-and-dime corruption?

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