As Heitkamp Attends North Dakota Oil Conference She Refuses To Return Contributions From Anti-Fracking Lawyers
According to her Twitter feed, liberal Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp is attending the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s annual meeting in Medora today.
About to speak to the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s annual meeting. Packed house here in Medora! – HH
— Heidi Heitkamp (@Heidi4ND) September 19, 2012
No word on whether or not the former EPA lawyer will explain to the state’s oil industry why, even as she claims she’s friendly oil development in North Dakota (which relies upon fracking), she’s refusing to return big-money contributions from a law firm that specializes in anti-fracking activism:
“Heitkamp has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and several months desperately trying to distance herself from the disastrous Obama-Reid approach to oil and energy production, while simultaneously taking money from liberal extremists determined to shut down North Dakota’s energy sector. Heitkamp’s willingness to accept thousands in campaign cash from extreme anti-drilling, anti-fracking, New York City environmentalist trial attorneys shows North Dakota where her true allegiance lies,” said Noth Dakota GOP Chairman Stan Stein.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee also called for Heitkamp to return the donations on Wednesday. Heitkamp campaign spokesman Brandon Lorenz said in an email to The Hill that the candidate would not be returning the donations.
To put into context how big of a deal this is, the law firm (Weitz & Luxenberg) is #2 among Heitkamp’s top contributors according to OpenSecrets.org, second only to the Motley Rice law firm which has poured money into Heitkamp’s campaign ever since she appointed one of their members to be North Dakota’s counsel in the tobacco lawsuits.
Heitkamp says one thing, but her actions say something else entirely.
Tags: fracking, Heidi Heitkamp, motley rice, North Dakota News, north dakota petroleum council, weitz & luxenberg
