At a Glance

In a tweet Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump said he had accepted the resignation of the beleaguered EPA chief.It was not immediately clear how the resignation might affect ongoing ethics investigations of Pruitt.EPA deputy Andrew Wheeler will assume duties as the acting administrator of the EPA.

President Donald Trump hasannounced the resignation of EnvironmentalProtection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt.

In a tweet Thursday afternoon, Trump said he had of the beleaguered EPA chief, who was facing more than a dozen federal and congressional investigations forsecurity spending, first-class flights and a sweetheart condo lease.

"Within the agency, Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this," said Trump in a tweet.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the president said there was no "final straw" that led to Pruitt's resignation.

In recent weeks, Pruitt has come under increasing scrutiny for numerous scandals that include spending behaviors,allegations that he rented a Capitol Hill condominium linked to an energy lobbyist and aCNN released this week that accuses the chief of using "secret" calendars and schedules to hide controversial meetings with industry players.

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Pruitt, who has done much to deregulate many of the Obama-era environmentalrules, is also accused of using his sway to secure a six-figure job for his wife.

Early in his tenure as EPA chief, Pruitt came under fire forsaying carbon dioxide emissions from human activity are.

In his resignation letter to Trump, obtained by the Associated Press, Pruitt expressed no regrets.

“It is extremely difficult for me to cease serving you in this role first because I count it a blessing to be serving you in any capacity, but also, because of the transformative work that is occurring,” Pruitt wrote. “However, the unrelenting attacks on me personally, my family, are unprecedented and have taken a sizable toll on all of us.”

It was not immediately clear how Pruitt’s resignation might affect those ongoing probes. No longer a federal employee, Pruitt can’t be compelled to speak or otherwise cooperate with the inspector general’s investigation. As a private citizen, he could still be subpoenaed to testify before Congress, but Republican-led committees have thus far shown little appetite in forcing him to do so.

Jennifer Kaplan, a spokeswoman for EPA Inspector General Arthur Elkins, said Thursday that the office was “assessing and evaluating” its ongoing audits and investigations in the wake of Pruitt’s departure.

EPA deputy Andrew Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist,would assume duties as the acting administrator of the EPA, Trump said.

"I have no doubt that Andy will continue on with our great and lasting EPA agenda," the president tweeted. "We have made tremendous progress and the future of the EPA is very bright!"

A Senate vote would be required if Wheeler is nominated to lead the agency permanently.

Like Pruitt, Wheeler is a conservative who will seek to roll back rules governing clean air and water and fighting against climate change.