Washington (CNN) The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee accused Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt of directing the EPA to prevent or delay public records requests from being processed.

In a letter sent to Pruitt on Monday, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, alleges that the EPA used a "first in, first out" approach to Freedom of Information Act requests -- granting responses to complex, Obama-era FOIA requests first and delaying simpler queries aimed at the current administration. The letter cites newly publicized interview transcripts between his committee and EPA staff.

Cummings writes that Kevin Chmielewski, Pruitt's former chief of staff, "informed staff from my office and several other congressional offices that you appear to be intentionally delaying the release of documents under FOIA relating to your tenure at EPA."

Another aide, Millan Hupp, confirmed Chmielewski's account in a subsequent committee interview. Hupp, according to the transcript, suggested Pruitt was privy to the "first in, first out" policy.

"Did the Administrator ever announce at a staff meeting that the Administrator's office should treat FOIA requests as first in, first out?" someone from the committee asks.

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