Brady Dennis

EPA to end controversial contract with conservative ‘media monitoring’ firm

The Environmental Protection Agency is canceling a $120,000 “media tracking” contract it recently signed with a Republican public affairs and opposition-research firm amid questions about the firm’s political work and outrage from lawmakers on Capitol Hill. The EPA had defended the contract with Definers Public Affairs, saying it hired the firm merely to act as a sophisticated news clipping service. An agency spokesman confirmed Dec 19 that the EPA and the company had agreed to terminate the contract.