Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan jabbed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt over a report the EPA chief put through raises for two close aides despite the White House rejecting the salary increases.
Duncan, who served under President Barack Obama, made his comments in a Friday tweet.
"To all my team who worked with me at the Department of Education for 7 years, I am so sorry I didn't give you raises of $56,765 or $28,130!" he said. "Silly me, I just didn't know that was possible."
The Atlantic reported on Tuesday that Pruitt had gone to the White House last month seeking raises for close aides Sarah Greenwalt and Millan Hupp. He asked that Greenwalt's salary of $107,435 be increased to $164,200 and Hupp's pay go from $86,460 to $114,590.
He used a provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act to skirt the White House rejection of the salary increases and put through the raises, according to The Atlantic.
But Pruitt told Fox News he was unaware the two agency staffers received the raises.
"My staff and I found out about it and I changed it," Pruitt told Fox News. "I found out this (Tuesday) and I corrected the action and we are in the process of finding out how it took place and correcting it."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.