Fox News Disciplines Employees Over Pruitt Interview

Fox News Channel said Tuesday that it is disciplining employees involved in an email exchange with an aide to President Trump’s former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt to craft a “Fox & Friends” interview with the environmental chief last year.

The Associated Press reports the emails showed one of Pruitt’s aides suggesting the interview, passing along “talking points” and given the chance by a Fox producer to approve a script written to introduce Pruitt.

Fox would not say who was being disciplined, noting that it was a personnel matter, and what that discipline involved. Earlier, the network had said that “this is not standard practice whatsoever and the matter is being addressed internally with those involved.”

Scott Pruitt

In May 2017, former Environmental Protection Agency press representative Amy Graham wrote to Fox, saying Pruitt would be in New York and able to come to Fox’s studio to talk about reforms Pruitt was making to help communities poorly served by President Barack Obama’s administration.

“Pruitt has been outspoken about the lack of environmental accomplishments under the Obama administration, calling President Obama ‘no environmental savior’ and he would like to expand on these comments,” Graham wrote.

“Fox & Friends” producer Andrew Murray agreed to the interview. When Graham wrote back that “we really need to stick with this as the topic” and needed confirmation that would be the case, Murray agreed. He assigned the segment to another producer, Diana Aloi.

Pruitt resigned 14 months after the interview took place, following a flurry of stories about ethical lapses including excessive spending for travel and security, trying to get his wife a job and circumventing the White House to get raises for top aides.