Does Joe Barton Ally Jim Gerlach Agree with Barton's Outrageous Apology to British Petroleum?
MEDIA RELEASE
6.21.2010
Ed Niles, Campaign Manager
610-370-9489
The fallout continues from Congressman Joe Barton's outrageous apology to British Petroleum for efforts to hold them accountable for cleanup costs in the Gulf, yet Jim Gerlach, a staunch Barton ally, remains silent on Barton's comments. Considering that Rep. Gerlach has taken $17,500 in campaign contributions from Barton's "Texas Freedom Fund," the campaign of Manan Trivedi believes voters have a right to know if Gerlach supports Barton's outrageous apology to British Petroleum.
"Since Representative Gerlach has taken $17,500 in contributions from Congressman Joe Barton's political organization, Gerlach owes Pennsylvania voters more than just silence in response to Barton's indefensible apology to British Petroleum," said Trivedi spokesperson, Ed Niles. "Voters deserve to know if Jim Gerlach's loyalty runs deeper with British Petroleum apologist Joe Barton or with the people of this district who want to hold the oil giant accountable for every dime's worth of damage."
The Trivedi campaign challenged Rep. Gerlach to not only publicly denounce Barton's apology to BP, but to use the $17,500 he received from Barton to actually help with the recovery of the Gulf Coast.
"Once Gerlach is done repudiating his BP apologist supporters, we're calling upon him to make amends for his long silence by donating the $17,500 given to him by Barton to an organization such as Save our Gulf, the Gulf Restoration Network or another entity that will directly help the people impacted most. Pennsylvanians deserve leaders who will stand up for their interests, but Jim Gerlach has repeatedly demonstrated that he's either unwilling or incapable of doing so. It's time for Jim Gerlach to end his silence and finally do the right thing," Niles concluded.
Background:
On June 17th, Republican Congressman Joe Barton, issued a public apology to British Petroleum chief executive Tony Hayward for the Obama Administration's attempts to hold BP accountable for cleanup costs thorough a $20 billion escrow account, describing it as a "shakedown." [Politico; 6/17/10]
Representative Jim Gerlach has taken $17,500 in campaign contributions from Congressman Joe Barton's Texas Freedom Fund. [Open Secrets - election cycles including 2004, 2006 and 2008].
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"Since Representative Gerlach has taken $17,500 in contributions from Congressman Joe Barton's political organization, Gerlach owes Pennsylvania voters more than just silence in response to Barton's indefensible apology to British Petroleum," said Trivedi spokesperson, Ed Niles. "Voters deserve to know if Jim Gerlach's loyalty runs deeper with British Petroleum apologist Joe Barton or with the people of this district who want to hold the oil giant accountable for every dime's worth of damage."
The Trivedi campaign challenged Rep. Gerlach to not only publicly denounce Barton's apology to BP, but to use the $17,500 he received from Barton to actually help with the recovery of the Gulf Coast.
"Once Gerlach is done repudiating his BP apologist supporters, we're calling upon him to make amends for his long silence by donating the $17,500 given to him by Barton to an organization such as Save our Gulf, the Gulf Restoration Network or another entity that will directly help the people impacted most. Pennsylvanians deserve leaders who will stand up for their interests, but Jim Gerlach has repeatedly demonstrated that he's either unwilling or incapable of doing so. It's time for Jim Gerlach to end his silence and finally do the right thing," Niles concluded.
Background:
On June 17th, Republican Congressman Joe Barton, issued a public apology to British Petroleum chief executive Tony Hayward for the Obama Administration's attempts to hold BP accountable for cleanup costs thorough a $20 billion escrow account, describing it as a "shakedown." [Politico; 6/17/10]
Representative Jim Gerlach has taken $17,500 in campaign contributions from Congressman Joe Barton's Texas Freedom Fund. [Open Secrets - election cycles including 2004, 2006 and 2008].
