For Immediate Release: November 12, 2009
Contact: Ryan Hobart (573) 636-5241 Ext. 125
Over $ 1 Million in Big Oil and Energy Contributions to Blunt’s Campaign Coffers
Jefferson City, Mo. — During a recent interview with KSPR in Springfield, Congressman Roy Blunt repeatedly claimed he didn’t know how much campaign money he has received from big oil and energy throughout his years in Congress. (KSPR 11/11/09) From the interview, in which Blunt is discussing a recent TV ad playing about his relationship with big oil:
KSPR: “…They [League of Conservation Voters] claim that you took nearly a million dollars from big oil and energy interests. Is that true?”
Blunt: “Well, I don’t know if that’s true or not…”
KSPR: “So you don’t know the number that you’ve taken from big oil?
Blunt: “I don’t know, actually…”
Congressman Blunt may “not know,” not remember, or not care how much the oil and gas industry has paid him during his time in Congress, but the number is not too hard to track down. According to a recent article in the Springfield News-Leader, “campaign finance records show Blunt has taken $1,012,398 from energy and natural resources interests since 1996, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.”
In fact, during the last fund-raising quarter, Halliburton and Exxon Mobil both contributed $2,000 to Blunt’s campaign. In addition, Marathon Oil donated $5000, Occidental Petroleum donated $1,000 and Chevron donated $2,000. As if that weren’t enough to jog his memory, ExxonMobil even hosted an oil industry fundraiser for him in Washington, DC less than two months ago. (Friends of Roy Blunt, October Quarterly Report; The Sunlight Foundation)
What does all this money to Blunt’s campaign committees buy? Quite a lot it turns out. Congressman Blunt has voted again and again to give oil and gas companies tens of billions in tax breaks and subsidies – even when the industry was earning record profits. In 2005, The Washington Post called the 1,700-page energy bill, which Blunt helped write, “a piñata of perks for energy industries.” [HR6, Vote 132, 4/21/05; HR 6, Vote 630, 11/18/03; Washington Post, 7/30/05]
“Maybe a million dollars in cash from big oil and energy special interests is just a drop in the bucket for Congressman Blunt, but Missouri families struggling with rising energy prices aren’t so lucky,” said Missouri Democratic Party Executive Director Brian Zuzenak. “Congressman Blunt will try and point fingers and distract folks from his cozy quid pro quo relationship, but his record shows that he’s spent the past 12 years in Washington lavishing tax breaks on big oil companies and sticking Missouri consumers with the bill.”
This isn’t the first time Blunt’s record of taking large amounts of campaign cash from lobbyists and special interests has come to the surface.
Last month, USA Today noted that Congressman Blunt has taken more money from lobbyists than any other candidate in the nation this year. During the first six months of 2009, Blunt took $310,534 from lobbyists, putting him ahead of both the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee. (USA Today, 10/4/09)
Congressman Blunt faces State Senator Chuck Purgason and Kansas City auto consultant Mark Memoly in the August 2010 primary for the Republican nominee for US Senate.
