NATIONWIDE -- Scott Pruitt has stepped down as the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday.

  • President Donald Trump: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has quit
  • Pruitt has faced ongoing criticism of his spending habits, lobbyist ties
  • Trump: Deputy EPA administrator will take over agency Monday

"I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this," Trump said on his Twitter feed.

Trump praised Scott for the job he did and the direction the EPA was heading and thanked Pruitt for his service.

Pruitt's resignation from the EPA comes amid ongoing scrutiny over his spending on travel, hotel stays and security. He also was facing multiple inquiries into his actions from ethics watchdogs, federal auditors and congressional committees.
 

Appearing on Capitol Hill in late April, Pruitt was grilled by lawmakers over reports he built a sound-proof booth in his office, renting a condominium unit well below market rate from a lobbyist couple who had business before his agency and ties to lobbyists.

In his opening remarks, Pruitt pushed back, calling the allegations "half-truths" or stories "so twisted they don't resemble reality."

But Republican Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon said, "I'm concerned that the good progress being made by the agency is being undercut by allegations about your agency and use of its resources."

Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler will assume acting administrator duties on Monday, according to Trump.