Head of US environment agency Scott Pruitt quits amidst ethics scandals

US President Donald Trump's top environmental aide Scott Pruitt has resigned, months after he was embroiled in a series of ethics controversies over his spending habits and misuse of office.

Pruitt left the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) having faced more than a dozen inquiries or reviews into his practices, including his first-class plane travel, a room that he rented from a lobbyist at USD 50 per night and the installation of a soundproof booth in his office.

President Trump first tweeted the news yesterday that Pruitt had resigned.

"I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency," Trump tweeted. "Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this."
He thanked Trump and expressed confidence that he was able to advance the President's agenda "beyond what anyone anticipated at the beginning of your administration."