Retired Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt resigned while being investigated by multiple government agencies for suspicious expenditures.
He since launched his first Senate campaign ad, alleging he was “canceled” by the media.
Pruitt served as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under previous President Trump from February 2017 to July 2018. This was before he ended up resigning amid investigations into his alleged misuse of government funds.
Now, Pruitt is seeking the Republican nomination for the Senate to succeed retiring Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe (R).
It is time that someone stands up to @JoeBiden, and stops him from undoing all the progress we made under @POTUS45 . Well guess what? I am back.
This is why I am running for United States Senate. Join me in my mission to save America: https://t.co/XC243ZRBXR#republican #USA pic.twitter.com/qP4VeHUiS1
— ScottPruittOK (@ScottPruitt_OK) May 12, 2022
Canceled
“Winston Churchill said, ‘You got enemies? Good. That indicates that you stand up for something,'” Pruitt stated in a newly released campaign video on Thursday.
“As a member of the Cabinet of President Trump, I had opponents—the New York Times and the Washington Post. They believe I was canceled. However, guess what? I’m back.”
Pruitt’s first campaign video was released nearly a month after he lodged to run for Senate, per the state’s candidate filing registry.
One day after, he participated in a U.S. Senate forum with hopefuls, including state Sen. Nathan Dahm and Luke Holland, Inhofe’s preferred successor.
“Joe Biden is reversing the gains gained during the Trump administration. Because he is harming the country and action must be taken, I am campaigning to be a US Senator,” Pruitt noted in the advertisement.
At his appearance before the Senate, Pruitt stressed his experience as Oklahoma’s previous attorney general and his efforts during the Trump administration to cut regulations on the petroleum industry.
If you're following @ScottPruittOK, make sure to join us here to keep up with my Senate campaign, and my mission to save America!#saveamerica #energy #Oklahoma #OK #OK22 #republican #GOP #senate
— ScottPruittOK (@ScottPruitt_OK) May 12, 2022
Indian Country
The former EPA administrator also emphasized the 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that designated a significant portion of the state as “Indian country.”
It restricted only tribal police officers to prosecuting criminals on Native American land, asserting that the ruling would have ramifications over and above criminal law.
“Anyone who informs you that decision will not affect the development beyond criminal procedure is plainly not telling you the whole story,” Pruitt said.
He highlighted a top issue among Republican leaders, such as Governor Kevin Stitt and Attorney General John O’Connor.
They previously asked the Supreme Court to decide whether state and local police can indict nontribal people who break the law against tribal residents on Native American land.
Other noteworthy Republican contenders vying for Inhofe’s seat include Rep. Markwayne Mullin of the 2nd District, former House Speaker T.W. Shannon, and Alex Gray, none of whom were present at the one-hour Senate event.
Mullin stated in a video played during the forum that he was in Washington, D.C. to attend a briefing on security measures.
Pruitt’s policy initiatives in the Trump cabinet received as much attention as issues about his ethics.
Pruitt faced allegations of spending abuses during his first months on the job, including his insistence on staying in fancy hotels that were more expensive than government regulations permitted.
He’s likewise accused of using taxpayer funds for first-class travel and his alleged tight connections with lobbyists.
