Chris Abruzzo

Christopher Abruzzo was appointed as head of the Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection in 2013 after his predecessor, Mike Krancer left to work as an attorney for the energy industry.

Abruzzo resigned in October 2014, amid a scandal over pornographic emails. He had previously served as Governor Corbett’s deputy chief of staff. His professional background has not been focused on environmental issues.

Abruzzo worked under Corbett for many years– in the Governor’s office, and before that, as the head of the Drug Strike Force section of the Attorney General’s office. He’s spent most of his career as a prosecutor working on criminal cases, including drug trafficking and Medicaid fraud. He holds degrees from St. Joseph’s University and the Widener University School of Law. Read his full resume here.

Abruzzo’s confirmation as DEP secretary attracted some controversy in December 2013 when he told a senate committee he was unaware climate change can cause harm.

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