Republican state attorneys general who have joined a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan have received more than $4.7 million from “polluters and energy interests,” according to a report issued Thursday by the left-wing nonprofit Americans United for Change. The report outlines donations made by fossil fuel companies both to individual state attorneys general and to the Republican Attorneys General Association. The group found $1.9 million in donations to RAGA and $2.8 million in individual donations.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alone has received $1,067,817 from fossil interests, according to the report.
“These Republican Attorneys General appear all too willing to let the energy interests filling their states’ air with dangerous pollution commandeer their agenda, so long as those interest[s] are also filling their campaign coffers,” the group said.
The report also highlights interactions between pro-fossil groups and several AGs involved in the lawsuit against the regulations, which requires states to develop action plans to meet federally set emissions reduction goals. Interactions noted include: the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office coordinating with the Koch Brothers-funded Heartland Institute to publish an anti-Clean Power Plan op-ed; the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office holding “confidential” conference calls with the North American Coal Corporation and coal industry interests to discuss the Clean Power Plan; and the Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine receiving anti-Clean Power Plan emails at a personal email address, which he forwarded to senior members of his staff at their government email addresses.
