Indiana: Mitch Daniels state-paid lobbyist can't explain Keystone XL pipeline lobbying
http://thinkprogress.org/green/2012/02/03/418286/update-indiana-gov-mitch-daniels-state-paid-lobbyist-cant-explain-keystone-xl-pipeline-lobbying/
Last week, ThinkProgress Green reported that Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN), joined the oil industry in lobbying Congress on behalf of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, using taxpayer dollars. Although the proposed pipeline does not go through Indiana, and few, if any, Indiana workers are expected to be employed in its construction, the states DC representatives received $66,000 from Indiana taxpayers to lobby Congress in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Citing the ThinkProgress Green report, House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) wrote one of those lobbyists yesterday, noting that her disclosed Keystone KL lobbying seems unusual as Indiana lacks any obvious interest in seeing the pipeline completed. In the letter, addressed to lobbyist Deborah Hohlt, Waxman would appreciate the opportunity to learn about Indianas interests in the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and requested a briefing from her.
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Hohlt had no answers when POLITICO contacted her Thursday, saying she still hadnt seen Waxmans letter. Youre kind of catching me off-guard, she said.
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A second lobbyist, Griffin Foster, also reported lobbying Congress and the Obama administration on the Keystone XL pipeline on Daniels behalf, over the same period.