Scott Pruitt Bio
Edward Scott Pruitt (born May 9, 1968) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and Republican politician from Oklahoma. He is best known for serving as the 14th Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from February 17, 2017, until his resignation on July 9, 2018. Before joining the federal government, Pruitt built a political career in Oklahoma, representing Tulsa and Wagoner counties in the state Senate from 1998 to 2006 and later serving as Attorney General of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2017. He rejects the scientific consensus on human-driven climate change and has remained active in conservative legal and political circles.
After leaving the EPA amid multiple ethics investigations, Pruitt pursued private-sector work and later entered the 2022 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate in Oklahoma, where he finished with a small share of the vote.
Early Life and Background
Edward Scott Pruitt was born on May 9, 1968, in Danville, Kentucky, the eldest of three siblings. He later moved with his family to Lexington, Kentucky, where he spent much of his childhood. His father, Edward Pruitt, owned steak houses, and his mother, Linda Pruitt Warner, was a homemaker.
Pruitt attended Lafayette High School in Lexington, where he played football and baseball. His performance on the baseball diamond earned him a scholarship to the University of Kentucky, where he played second base for one year before transferring to Georgetown College in Kentucky. He graduated in 1990 with bachelor’s degrees in political science and communications. After college, Pruitt relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, attending the University of Tulsa College of Law and earning his Juris Doctor in 1993.
Path to US Politics
After completing law school, Pruitt settled in Tulsa and began building a career in Oklahoma Republican politics. In 1998, he won election to the Oklahoma State Senate, representing Tulsa and Wagoner counties. During his time in the Senate, he rose through the party leadership, serving as Republican whip from 2001 to 2003 and later as Republican Assistant Floor Leader until 2006.
Pruitt used his position to advocate for conservative legal causes, including efforts to expand fathers’ property rights related to abortion decisions and to roll back workers’ compensation benefits. He also served as chair of a task force for the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization that connects state legislators with business leaders to draft model legislation. In 2001, he sought the Republican nomination for Oklahoma’s 1st congressional district but was unsuccessful, an experience that sharpened his focus on state-level office.
Scott Pruitt Career
Early Career (1998–2010)
During his eight years in the Oklahoma Senate, Pruitt focused on legal reform, workers’ compensation changes, and social-conservative legislation. He introduced multiple bills aimed at limiting abortion access and expanding the rights of fathers in decisions involving unborn children. In 2003, he partnered with major Republican donor Robert A. Funk to buy a stake in the Oklahoma City RedHawks, a Triple-A baseball team, an investment they sold in 2010.
After leaving the state Senate in 2006, Pruitt spent several years in the private sector as an attorney and lobbyist, sharpening the legal and political networks that would carry him into statewide office.
Attorney General of Oklahoma Breakthrough (2011–2017)
In 2010, Pruitt won election as Attorney General of Oklahoma, a position he used to challenge federal environmental, health, and immigration policies. Soon after taking office, he dissolved the Environmental Protection Unit within the Attorney General’s office and created a Federalism Unit dedicated to suing the administration of President Barack Obama over issues such as the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, and immigration policy. He was elected chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association in 2012 and reelected in February 2013.
Pruitt built a national profile by repeatedly suing the Environmental Protection Agency. By January 2017, he had filed at least 13 lawsuits against the agency, targeting rules such as the Clean Power Plan and the Waters of the United States rule. He also pursued legal fights against same-sex marriage, abortion rights, and Oklahoma’s executions. Major energy industry donors, including Harold Hamm, CEO of Continental Resources, contributed heavily to his campaigns. During the same period, The New York Times reported that he had used official letterhead to send form letters drafted by energy industry lobbyists to federal agencies.
EPA Administrator Era (2017–2018)
President Donald Trump nominated Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency following the 2016 election, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him in February 2017 on a 52–46 vote. As Administrator, Pruitt pursued an aggressive deregulatory agenda, including proposing repeal of the Clean Power Plan, rolling back the Clean Water Rule, delaying methane regulations, and moving to weaken fuel-economy and emissions standards.
His tenure was marked by intense controversy. Reports emerged of unusually close ties to the fossil fuel industry, including a discounted condominium lease from a lobbyist whose clients were regulated by the EPA, frequent first-class and charter travel, secret schedules, and use of a private email account. He also faced criticism for giving large raises to two close aides using a narrow provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act. By mid-2018, at least 14 federal investigations into his spending, ethics, and management practices were underway, and dozens of lawmakers, including three Republicans, called for his resignation. On July 5, 2018, Pruitt announced he would resign effective July 9, 2018, and Deputy Administrator Andrew R. Wheeler became acting head of the agency.
Notable Events and Milestones
Pruitt’s most significant milestone was leading the Environmental Protection Agency at a time of major federal deregulatory action, including the proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan, the repeal of the Clean Water Rule, and the delay of methane emissions standards. His tenure also set a record for federal investigations of a single agency head, with at least 14 probes examining his ethics, spending, secrecy, and management decisions.
Scott Pruitt Career Wins
While Pruitt’s career was defined more by political and legal battles than electoral victories, he compiled a record of sustained electoral success in Oklahoma, serving as a state senator, twice winning election as Attorney General, and being confirmed as EPA Administrator by the U.S. Senate.
Electoral Highlights
Pruitt first won election to the Oklahoma State Senate in 1998, representing Tulsa and Wagoner counties until 2006. He won his first race for Attorney General of Oklahoma in 2010, and after running unopposed in the 2014 Republican primary, he secured a second term in the November 2014 general election. In 2017, the U.S. Senate confirmed him as EPA Administrator in a 52–46 vote, the culmination of his ascent from state legislator to a Cabinet-level post.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond elections, Pruitt was elected chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association in 2012 and reelected in February 2013, giving him influence over multi-state legal strategy on issues ranging from federal regulation to immigration. He also led Oklahoma into high-profile legal actions, including challenges to the Affordable Care Act and the Clean Power Plan, that helped define his national reputation in conservative legal circles.
Scott Pruitt Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Pruitt is the son of Edward Pruitt, a Kentucky steak-house owner, and Linda Pruitt Warner, a homemaker. He grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, as the eldest of three siblings. He married Marlyn Pruitt in 1990, and the couple has two children, a daughter named McKenna and a son named Cade. The family has long resided in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Pruitt built his legal and political career.
Outside of politics, Pruitt was part-owner of the Oklahoma City RedHawks Triple-A baseball team from 2003 to 2010, reflecting his ties to Oklahoma’s business community. Despite multiple federal investigations, his resignation from the EPA in 2018, and his unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate primary run, he has continued to participate in conservative political and policy work.