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“Follow the money.” That was the advice given by the source known as “Deep Throat” to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein during their Watergate investigation.
The probe eventually resulted in the resignation of Richard Nixon as president of the United States, and over the years, has gained widespread acceptance as a way to get to the bottom of an investigation.
And so it is with a recent probe by MarcellusMoney.org, a project of Common Cause/Pa and Conservation Voters of Pa, which tracks the growing influence of the gas drilling industry.
In a recent press release, the group noted that an analysis of natural gas industry contributions to Pennsylvania officials in the first half of 2016 totaled $464,592, nearly double the amount given during the same period in 2012.
Since 2009, Marcellus Money said it has tracked campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures from the natural gas industry to state elected officials. In total, it said the industry has contributed $9,508,036 to state candidates and spent $59,362,205 in lobbying efforts.
Marcellus Money pointed to state Rep. John Maher as an example of how the gas drilling industry distributes its money. Maher became chairman of the House Environment and Energy Committee back in January of 2015. Since then, he’s received $26,500 in contributions from the industry, putting him among the top six government officials receiving such money. The only officials receiving more money than him were state Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Joseph B. Scarnati, $106,850; Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, $48,000; House Majority Leader Dave Reed, $46,000; Senate Majority Leader, Jake Corman, $35,000; and House Speaker Mike Turzai, $28,500.
Prior to that appointment, Maher had received only $1,750 from the gas industry.
As chairman of the committee, Maher determines when or if legislation that affects the gas industry is considered.
Meanwhile, it’s interesting to note that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently overruled parts of Act 13, a law passed in 2012 which overhauled the state’s gas and oil regulations.
The court ruled that the law gave special treatment to the industry, violating state constitutional rights of residents to clean air and water. According to the ruling, the state is obligated “to act as trustee to conserve and maintain these and other natural resources for the benefit of all the people in this and future generations.”
One part ruled unconstitutional was the state being required to notify public water users of toxic spills but not private water users.
The court ruled that was illegal, noting that three million Pennsylvanians rely on private wells for drinking with many of them living in rural areas of the state where oil and gas drilling takes place.
“The consistent high levels of gas industry investment in political contributions and lobbying should worry all Pennsylvanians,” said Barry Kauffman of Common Cause PA. “These political investments were made for a purpose — to ensure the industry could hold sway over public policies and government officials and perhaps do so in ways that are counter to the interests of Pennsylvanians.”
We couldn’t agree more with Kauffman. We also agree with Kauffman and Common Cause that Pennsylvania needs limits on campaign contributions and more transparency on such donations. It’s a known fact that Pennsylvania has one of the weakest campaign contribution laws in the country.
In the end, the phrase “follow the money” dates back to early 1970s, but it’s still as relevant today as it was back then.