Scott Pruitt's $50-a-Night Rental Didn't Violate Ethics Rules, EPA Official Says

An ethics official at the Environmental Protection Agency said Administrator Scott Pruitt’s $50-a-night rental payments make up “a fair market rate,” according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press. Kevin Minoli’s memo was signed on March 30–a day after ABC News broke the initial story–and stated that the nightly rent would equal about $1,500 a month, which he deemed to be a “fair price.” The lease stipulated that Pruitt would only have to pay for nights he actually stayed at the residence. He ended up paying about “$1,000 a month” during his six-month stay. The AP reports that similar condos in the Capitol Hill neighborhood typically “go for far more than what Pruitt paid.” Pruitt’s two-bedroom condo, which he shared with his daughter, has attracted controversy as the property is owned by the wife of environmental lobbyist Steven Hart.