From the Mark Herring for Attorney General campaign, this makes clear whose side Mark Obenshain would be on if (god forbid) elected Attorney General of Virginia: “out-of-state energy companies, not Virginia property owners,” as Mark Herring (correctly) explains. Remember, Mark Obenshain said that Ken Cuccinelli would be a model for him as Attorney General, and his campaign is showing that he wasn't kidding.
Obenshain sides with company that Cuccinelli aided in swindling SW Virginians out of $30M in royalties
On Monday following the Virginia campaign finance disclosure deadline, campaign finance documents revealed that Republican candidate for Attorney General Mark Obenshain received a $15,000 campaign donation on August 26, 2013 from Consol Energy, Inc. This is the same out-of-state company that received help from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s office in swindling Virginians’ out of more than $30 million in gas royalties during a class action lawsuit.
“This donation is nothing more than a down payment from Consol Energy to Mark Obenshain to continue the special treatment the company has experienced under Ken Cuccinelli,” Democratic candidate for Attorney General Mark Herring said. “This is about whose side Mark Obenshain is going to be on, and it’s clear that he would side with out-of-state energy companies, not Virginia property owners. Virginians want the next Attorney General to be a break from Ken Cuccinelli, but Obenshain is going down the same path. As Attorney General, I’ll take politics out of the office, put the law – and Virginians – first.”
Throughout the controversy involving Cuccinelli, Mark Obenshain has remained silent and has been dodging questions. Now we may know why.
In the gas royalties scandal, Ken Cuccinelli’s office was first accused of helping an out-of-state energy company, Consol Energy, Inc., in a class action lawsuit against citizens of Southwest Virginia. Cuccinelli claimed that his office’s communications with Consol pertained to constitutional issues, but a Federal judge, after reviewing email correspondence, found that Cuccinelli’s office was offering advice and opinions to the company against Virginia citizens. The judge called the correspondence “shocking.”
Below are headlines condemning Cuccinelli’s role in aiding Consol:
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Bristol Herald Courier: Dozens of emails surface from Virginia AG office to gas company
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Washington Post: Virginia attorney general’s office raises questions with role in class-action case
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Virginian Pilot: AG’s explanation begins to unravel
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Richmond Times Dispatch: Today’s top opinion: Consol-ation prizes
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Roanoke Times: Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s ‘privileged’ communications
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Roanoke Times: Shocking, but not surprising
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Think Progress: Are Ken Cuccinelli’s Ties to Big Coal And Gas Hurting Him In Deeply Red Southwest Virginia?
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Businessweek: Records show Va. AG opposed disclosure of emails
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