Trump's Cohen comments are already costing him

No Images? Click here         Scott Pruitt Admits He Knew About Controversial EPA Staff Raises Scott Pruitt, the embattled Environmental Protection Agency administrator, admitted Thursday that he signed off on controversial five-figure raises for political appointees, contradicting statements he made in a tense Fox News interview earlier this month.  Speaking at the first of two House hearings, Pruitt said gave chief of staff Ryan Jackson the green light to use a special loophole in the Safe Drinking Water Act to boost the salaries of Millan Hupp and Sarah Greenwalt, two of his longtime aides from Oklahoma who now work at EPA, even after the White House rejected the request.  “There were delegations giving him that authority,” Pruitt said in response to questions from Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.). “I was not aware of the amount, nor was I aware of the bypassing or the [White House Office of Presidential Personnel] process not being respected.”  He reiterated the statement in the second hearing later in the afternoon, and insisted he canceled the raises and resubmitted the requests to the White House.  That was the extent of Pruitt’s acknowledgement of any wrongdoing. The hearings ― one before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the other in front of the House Committee on Appropriations ― cap a month of mounting calls for Pruitt to step down. READ MORE     WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING? The Senate confirmed Mike Pompeo as secretary of state. Pompeo, a former House member from Kansas, has indicated that he intends to approach his role as America’s top diplomat with less hawkish stances than he has been known for.  READ MORE Trump's Michael Cohen comments are already costing him. The president may have shot himself in the foot by telling “Fox & Friends” that Cohen only performed a tiny bit of his legal work. READ MORE The director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs resigned after just six months on the job. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke appointed Bryan Rice to lead the bureau in October. READ MORE         ICYMI Here's the White House questionnaire for GOP candidates who want Trump's backing. It asks about immigration, Pakistan and trade.    The GOP food stamp bill may be harsh enough to win over hard-liners. The bill might push more people off benefits than previously thought.   Diamond and Silk appeared to lie under oath about Trump payments during a congressional hearing on Thursday. The conservative social media duo said they weren’t paid by the president’s campaign... but campaign filings indicate otherwise.       Want more?  A Guide To Unscrambling Trump’s Bonkers ‘Fox & Friends’ Interview   Donald Trump Was Too Busy Tweeting At Kanye West To Get Melania A Birthday Gift   Ronny Jackson Withdraws Name From VA Secretary Consideration   HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25th 2018 we will be introducing a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. How will Trump’s administration impact you? Sign up for our email and find out. Did a friend send you this? Subscribe here. Like what you see? Share it. Want more? Here are two other newsletters you'll love: The Morning Email and Must Reads. ©2017 HuffPost | 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe   - - Preferences  |  Unsubscribe