Report: Coal exec Joe Craft, big UK donor, is 'cozy' to Scott Pruitt

Show Caption Hide Caption Report: Scott Pruitt sat courtside in seats owned by coal executive EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt again coming under fire, this time for attending a basketball game last December in court-side seats owned by a billionaire coal executive. For more on the story here is Zachary Devita.

Coal executive Joseph W. Craft III, a Kentucky native and Republican political donor, is in the spotlight for his relationship with embattled Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, highlighted in a New York Times article published Saturday.

Craft has prominent business, political and personal interests in Kentucky, though his coal business is centered in Oklahoma. He is also a big-time donor to the University of Kentucky, where the basketball and football training facilities bear his name.

The university takes center stage in the Times story, as Pruitt sat court-side for December's game against the University of Louisville thanks to Craft's tickets — in a section for season-ticket holders who'd donated at least $1 million.

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A university spokesman described Craft as a "long-time friend of, and donor to, the University of Kentucky, having contributed millions of dollars to both academics and athletics at UK over many years."

"I can't speak to details in the story online, but he is a long-time season ticket-holder and he has, as I indicated, been a leading philanthropist on behalf of the institution in many endeavors," spokesman Jay Blanton wrote in an email.

Voicemails left Saturday for Alliance Resource Partners, Craft's company, were not immediately returned.

Great to see @EPAScottPruitt at the game. Congrats to @KentuckyMBB on the big win and Shai for player of the game! 🏀 pic.twitter.com/kzNR0XixwJ — Ambassador Kelly Craft (@USAmbCanada) December 29, 2017

Craft is a University of Kentucky graduate and the president, CEO and director of Alliance, the country's seventh-largest coal producer. It operates five mines in Kentucky, including four in the western part of the state but is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma — the state where Pruitt recently served as attorney general and battled the EPA.

The Times article states the relationship between the two men is emblematic of Pruitt's leadership style, which has led to several ethical investigations. Recent reports have scrutinized Pruitt's ability to defend the environment given his connections to the industries the EPA is expected to regulate, including coal.

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Pruitt "often blurs the lines between personal and official relationships and has created the impression at times that he does the bidding of the industries the agency regulates," the New York Times wrote.

The Times story — "A Courtside View of Scott Pruitt's Cozy Ties With a Billionaire Coal Baron" — notes Craft and Pruitt met at least seven times in Pruitt's first 14 months at the EPA —which is more than he has met with representatives of any environmental group.

And, when Pruitt announced the repeal of the Clean Power Plan last year, he traveled to Craft's hometown of Hazard, Kentucky, to do so.

The Clean Power Plan was President Obama's first-of-its-kind regulation on power plants, aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. It's one of several Obama-era rules that Craft and others in the coal industry have sought Pruitt's help in rolling back.

The report thrusts Kentucky and its coal production into the national debate on the industry. Trump has promised to boost coal jobs and many miners in the state helped his rise to power.

A spokesman for Alliance told the New York Times that, while the company welcomes the changes Pruitt has implemented at the EPA, it had not been treated differently than others in the coal industry.

"We did not receive any special treatment from the EPA," Lovell wrote, according to the Times.

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And, Lovell added, Craft sold Pruitt the December basketball tickets at "market value."

Craft's connection to the university is well-documented: he gifted millions earlier this decade for the men's and women's basketball training facility, the Joe Craft Center. He also contributed to the football facility that opened in July 2016, the Joe Craft Football Training Facility.

The new men's basketball dormitory, funded by a group spearheaded by Craft, is named the Wildcat Coal Lodge.

Kentucky's basketball coach John Calipari was present in Washington, D.C., last year when Craft's wife Kelly Knight Craft was sworn in as ambassador to Canada.

So happy for Kelly and Joe Craft. Kelly was officially sworn in as our Canadian Ambassador today. She will do great! pic.twitter.com/ZfCKVCUuxo — John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) September 27, 2017

Knight Craft was previously a member of UK's board of trustees, appointed by Gov. Matt Bevin in 2016 after she co-chaired the committee that organized and raised funds for his inauguration.

The Crafts are major Republican donors both within Kentucky and nationally. They supported Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and hosted a 2016 fundraiser in Kentucky.

Campaign finance records show they donated at least $400,000 to his political campaign. The New York Times reported they donated more than $1 million to political committees that supported Trump.

The couple were later appointed as finance vice-chairs to his inaugural committee and Craft donated $1 million to his 2017 inauguration, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Reporter Jon Hale contributed to this story. Darcy Costello: 502-582-4834; dcostello@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @dctello. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/darcyc.