EPA Mismanagement

WASHINGTON –On Thursday, April 30^th, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “EPA Mismanagement.” This hearing will examine cases of employee misconduct and the manner in which they were handled by Environmental Protection Agency senior management.

HEARING BACKGROUND:

• Over the past two years, the EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has conducted investigations of multiple cases of serious misconduct carried out by EPA employees.

• An EPA OIG investigation found that Peter Jutro, the former Acting Associate Administrator for the EPA Office of Homeland Security (OHS) engaged in a pattern of “conduct and exchanges, including some of a sexual nature considered to be unwelcome” by sixteen female EPA employees.  The EPA OIG uncovered these allegations after an investigation of Mr. Jutro, who was found to have engaged in inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature towards a female Smithsonian intern during the summer of 2014.  The EPA OIG investigation found that senior level EPA officials may have been aware of allegations of inappropriate behavior by Mr. Jutro prior to his detail to OHS, which should have prompted further investigation and may have prevented his detail to OHS from proceeding.  Mr. Jutro was placed on administrative leave by EPA but retired from the agency before the EPA OIG had an opportunity to interview him regarding the additional allegations of further inappropriate behavior.
• Additionally, the EPA OIG investigated three instances of EPA employees who were found to be viewing pornography while at work.  The EPA OIG referred these cases to the U.S. Department of Justice for prosecution.  Ultimately, the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined prosecution for two cases while the third resulted in a criminal conviction.  One of these employees is still on paid administrative leave pending administrative action by the EPA while another has retired.