The ad emphasizes McGinty’s cozy relationship with the energy companies Iberdrola and NRG. McGinty’s involvement with these companies was questioned recently in a Pittsburgh Post Gazette story.
After funneling resources to Iberdrola while Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, McGinty made $100,000 annually as an Iberdrola subsidiary board member.
WATCH the video:
[youtube url = "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKrHAUsJQMg&feature=youtu.be"]
SCRIPT:
Nikki: Senate Democratic candidate Katie McGinty is no stranger to the revolving door. When McGinty was Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, she funneled money into an energy company called Iberdrola. She then left the public sector for a lucrative private sector position at that same company. This became a pattern for McGinty – crossing over from government to energy jobs and back again – a career of revolving doors.
Nikki: Now, NRSC news has an exclusive with the revolving doors themselves. We have Sami Gilkes in the field reporting. Sami?
Sami: Thanks Nikki, I’m here at our first revolving door.
Sami: How many times would you guess McGinty’s been through the revolving door?
Sami: McGinty has not only personally profited from the revolving door, but her failed gubernatorial bid and current senate campaign have received cash as well.
Sami: We know McGinty’s campaigns have raked in at least $20K just from NRG employees alone. How much would you estimate McGinty’s campaign has profited from this practice?
Sami: McGinty has gone from public to private payroll three times and has raked in millions from it. How many times is too many times in the revolving door, in your experience?"
Sami: Well, you heard here it here first. Katie McGinty is certainly keeping these revolving doors busy.
Nikki: Thanks Sami, always giving a voice to the voiceless. I’m Nikki Mandell with another segment of NRSC News.
BACKGROUND:
McGinty Joined A Washington, D.C. Lobbying Firm After Working At The White House
- In 2000, McGinty Joined The Law Firm Troutman Sanders And Lobbied The Clinton EPA After Working For The White House As An Environmental Policy Official. “Katie McGinty, a former environmental policy official in the Clinton White House and a top aide to Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, has entered the U.S. Senate race, challenging Sen. Pat Toomey. McGinty, as you would expect of a former enviro policy appointee, is also a former industry lobbyist. In 2000, she lobbied the Clinton EPA on behalf of drugmaker Glaxo Wellcome. Glaxo made CFC-powered inhalers, and was lobbying on the EPA on its regulations controlling CFCs, according to a lobbying filing.” (Timothy Carney, “Revolving-Door Drug Lobbyist Enters Pa. Senate Race,” Washington Examiner, 8/12/15)
McGinty Regulated Energy Companies In Pennsylvania, Then Joined Their Boards
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McGinty Took A Board Position With NRG Energy After Regulating Energy Companies As Pennsylvania’s Department Of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary, Earning $1.1 Million In Cash And Stock. “In October 2008, Ms. McGinty took a board position with NRG Energy, an increasingly green-focused power provider with natural-gas, coal, wind and other energy facilities across the state. Between 2008 and 2013, when Ms. McGinty left the board, she received $1.1 million in cash and stock awards, SEC filings show.” (Chris Potter, “Senate Candidate McGinty’s Role In Energy Industry Is Questioned,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/16/15)
- McGinty Also Took A Board Position With A Subsidiary Of Iberdrola After Her State Agency Awarded Millions In Contracts To The Wind Energy Company. “Ms. McGinty also took a board position at Iberdrola USA in 2009. The wind-energy and natural gas firm had previously acquired Community Energy, a renewable-energy developer from which the state purchased power. The two firms parted ways in 2009, but in 2010, Iberdrola received a $10 million federal stimulus grant though the state, to help build a Fayette County wind farm.” (Chris Potter, “Senate Candidate McGinty’s Role In Energy Industry Is Questioned,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/16/15)
- By 2015, McGinty Was Earning $100,000 Annually While Serving On Iberdrola’s Board And Resigned Two Days Before Joining Governor Wolf’s Payroll. “At first glance, Katie McGinty’s financial disclosure makes it look like she was busy this year. Her form, which the Democratic Senate candidate filed earlier this week, seemed to show that she was a director at the energy firm Iberdrola at the same time as she served as Gov. Wolf’s chief-of-staff – but her campaign said that the form is mistaken, and that the two jobs did not overlap. McGinty resigned from the wind energy and natural gas company Jan. 18, two days before joining the state payroll as Wolf’s top aide, said McGinty spokeswoman Sabrina Singh. That means her time at the firm overlapped with McGinty’s run for governor last year and Wolf’s transition after the 2014 election, but not her time in public office… McGinty, who was paid quarterly, made $100,000 from Iberdrola in 2014 and $25,000 in 2015, according to her campaign. Her last payment arrived Jan. 14, four days before her resignation. She left the governor’s office in July ahead of launching her Senate bid. McGinty had been affiliated with Spain-based Iberdrola since 2009, when she became a director at Iberdrola USA, her disclosure shows.” (Jonathan Tamari, “McGinty Disclosure Form Gets Quick Correction,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/4/15)
NRG And Iberdrola Employees Have Contributed More Than $31,000 To McGinty’s Campaigns
- NRG Employees Have Contributed More Than $21,000 To McGinty’s Gubernatorial And Senatorial Campaigns. (Federal Election Commission, www.fec.gov, Accessed 1/11/16; Pennsylvania Department Of State, Accessed 1/11/16)
- Iberdrola Employees Have Contributed More Than $10,000 To McGinty’s Gubernatorial And Senatorial Campaigns. (Federal Election Commission, www.fec.gov, Accessed 1/11/16; Pennsylvania Department Of State, Accessed 1/11/16)