Tom Ridge Claimed "I'm Not a Lobbyist" on Colbert Report, But The Facts Prove Otherwise

picture-7018-1583982147.png
on

Tom Ridge, on the Thursday, June 9 edition of the Colbert Report, claimed he is “not a lobbyist.” A quick glance at his resume shows that nothing could be further from the truth.

Ridge, now 65 years-old, has worn multiple hats throughout his extensive political career. Among them: first ever head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Bush Administration from 2003-2005, former Governor of Pennsylvania from 1995-2001, and former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from from 1983-1995.<--break- data-lazy-src=

That aside, one must look no further than the Pennsylvania Department of State’s lobbyist registry for the real smoking gun evidence. (See attached lobbying disclosure for Tom Ridge.)

The registry shows that the Coalition has 11 lobbyists registered to advocate for fracking in the Marcellus Shale region, and in Pennsylvania in particular, among those listed include Coalition Executive Director Kathryn Klaber and Tom Ridge. The registry also shows that their paychecks come from none other than Ridge Global.

Open Secrets, a project of the Center for Responsive Politics, shows that since 2010, the Marcellus Shale Coalition has recieved $90,000 from Ridge GlobalOpen Secrets also shows that Ridge is currently a paid lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, chairing their National Security Task Force. Furthermore, he is the current recipient of a $900,000 a year paycheck from the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

And yet, though the evidence against his claim is quite damning, Ridge had the chutzpah to begin his June 9, 2011 interview on the Colbert Report with a bang, claiming he is “not a lobbyist.”

Not a lobbyist? Under what definition, exactly?

As it turns out, Ridge has previously been scolded by the Justice Department for failing to properly register as a lobbyist. Perhaps Mr. Ridge needs to review the definition of ‘lobbyist.’  Here is the Washington Post’s definition, for instance: “A person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest.”

Mr. Ridge’s work on behalf of the gas industry clearly qualifies as lobbying under any reasonable review.

picture-7018-1583982147.png
Steve Horn is the owner of the consultancy Horn Communications & Research Services, which provides public relations, content writing, and investigative research work products to a wide range of nonprofit and for-profit clients across the world. He is an investigative reporter on the climate beat for over a decade and former Research Fellow for DeSmog.

Related Posts

on

The deal would place 40 percent of California’s idle wells in the hands of one operator. Campaigners warn this poses an "immense" risk to the state — which new rules could help to mitigate, depending on how regulators act.

The deal would place 40 percent of California’s idle wells in the hands of one operator. Campaigners warn this poses an "immense" risk to the state — which new rules could help to mitigate, depending on how regulators act.
Opinion
on

Corporations are using sport to sell the high-carbon products that are killing our winters, and now we can put a figure on the damage their money does.

Corporations are using sport to sell the high-carbon products that are killing our winters, and now we can put a figure on the damage their money does.
on

Inside the conspiracy to take down wind and solar power.

Inside the conspiracy to take down wind and solar power.
on

A new report estimates the public cost of underwriting U.S. plastics industry growth and the environmental violations that followed.

A new report estimates the public cost of underwriting U.S. plastics industry growth and the environmental violations that followed.