During the 2016 US Presidential campaign and election, one of the most hotly contested points was whether or not candidate Hillary Clinton broke the law by using her personal email to complete work for the government. Ultimately, it was proven that she did act in a negligent manner by doing so, but she was honest and forthright with the investigators and no formal criminal or civil chargers were brought against her.
While Clinton was never found guilty of any crime, it still was a continued point of contention between Clinton and eventual winner Donald Trump. While Trump clearly thought that she was in the wrong in this situation, it now appears that one of his closest advisors could have committed a very similar act.
In January of this year, President Trump appointed Scott Pruitt to be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt was previously the Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma. During his formal appointment, Pruitt stated three times that he never used a personal email or personal server to complete any government jobs or tasks. However, based on an investigation into the matter, it now appears that he did use his personal email on several different occasions during his time as Attorney General.
The email issue, which may seem insignificant to some, is now becoming a much bigger deal. The Oklahoma Bas Association has opened a more formal investigation into the matter and has already made the suggestion that Pruitt should be removed from his position and disbarred for lying about his use of his personal email account. Others believe that he could be facing more significant criminal charges due to the fact that he lied while he was under oath.
The investigation and potential charges are also being supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, which is based out of Portland. This organization works with groups all over the country to protect species from the threat of existence. They have historically worked closely with the EPA but have become concerned about the appointment of Pruitt. Pruitt has come under significant scrutiny from many environmentalists due to some public comments he has made, including a statement that he believes humans did not influence climate change.