House Democrats on Thursday sent letters to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt Edward (Scott) Scott PruittJuan Williams: Swamp creature at the White House Science protections must be enforceable Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE and the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG) requesting information on a legal defense fund set up by Pruitt to defend himself in the midst of multiple scandals.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, and a group of five other Democratic lawmakers are investigating "potential ethical problems" created by Pruitt's legal fund, which the EPA chief disclosed during a Senate hearing last week.

Other lawmakers on the letters included Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Jamie Raskin Jamin (Jamie) Ben RaskinShakespeare Theatre Company goes virtual for 'Will on the Hill...or Won't They?' Trump payroll-tax deferral for federal workers sparks backlash Congress must enact a plan to keep government workers safe MORE (D-Md.) and Gerry Connolly Gerald (Gerry) Edward ConnollyJudge issues nationwide injunction against Postal Service changes House panel advances bill to ban Postal Service leaders from holding political positions Shakespeare Theatre Company goes virtual for 'Will on the Hill...or Won't They?' MORE (D-Va.).

ADVERTISEMENT

"We have serious misgivings, however, about the potential ethical problems raised by such a fund, given your abysmal track record in such matters. We urge you to take all possible steps to mitigate any potential for conflicts of interest," the lawmakers wrote.

Specifically, the Democrats warned Pruitt against accepting anonymous donations to the fund, which they said would conflict with recent guidelines set by the Office of Government Ethics. Any donation above $390 to the fund must already be publicly disclosed, according to federal regulations.

“We are also concerned about the possibility of anonymous donations to your legal defense fund, as such donations could easily bypass prohibitions on donations from lobbyists and special interests with business before the EPA," they wrote.

"We strongly urge against any such delay in transparency, as lax disclosure would worsen already-severe mistrust of your leadership by Congress and the public.”

Pruitt told a Senate committee last week that he is not personally involved with soliciting donations for the fund, which he says is handled by his attorneys.

“I don’t accept donations. I don’t solicit donations. That’s done by attorneys and others,” he said.

The EPA chief, whom President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE has defended as scandals mount, is currently the subject of 12 separate investigations from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the EPA inspector general's office, according to Politico.

The investigations surround a number of Pruitt's dealings, including his $50-a-night condo deal from the wife of an energy lobbyist and his construction of a $43,000 soundproof booth that was found to be in violation of congressional laws.