First fox: A senior Biden administration official described a “funders-only” event hosted earlier this year by her former employer, the Energy Foundation, according to records obtained by the Energy Policy Group.
Democratic Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Allison Clements said her presence may have been “inappropriate,” according to text messages and emails obtained by Energy Foundation officials. Nonetheless, he eventually agreed to attend the January 10th funder event. Shared with Fox News Digital by the Institute for Energy Research (IER).
Meredith Wingate, director of the Energy Foundation’s Fossil Fuels Program, texted Clements in December.
Wingate said the group would consider rescheduling the event if Clements was unable to attend on January 10.
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A week before the January 3 event, Energy Foundation Senior Program Associate Sandy Carter told FERC staff that the event would include a “funders only” portion and a briefing by Clements, followed by a question and answer session. I emailed you the schedule.
“I found your comments very interesting and thought they would help focus our group on how to support advocacy success at the FERC,” Wingate emailed Clements two days after the event. I thanked her for attending.
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The content of Clements’ briefing remains unclear, but IER and ethics experts said her attendance at the Energy Foundation’s donors’ meeting apparently raised ethical issues.
“Having regular meetings with the far-left organization she once worked for gives a troubling impression,” IER President Tom Pyle told Fox News Digital. Explaining it to funders is compellingly inappropriate.”
“At the very least, Commissioner Clements should refrain from voting on matters of interest to the Energy Foundation,” he continued. “If she had been a Republican Commissioner and felt so close to her industry representatives, the left would have demanded her resignation.”
Clements was Director of the Energy Foundation’s Energy Markets Program for two years before being appointed to the FERC in 2020. The group’s mission, according to its website, is to ensure a “fair economy with clean energy.”
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Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Accountability and Civic Trust Foundation, a government ethics oversight group, said federal rules prohibit government officials from doing business with parties regulated by government agencies. I pointed out that One or more of her individuals who attended Energy Foundation events may be influenced by FERC policy decisions.
Arnold told Fox, “A general ethical rule is that a public official must not be regulated by, deal with, or seek official action from, or be subject to the influence of a government agency or department. Do not solicit donations from anyone who has a potential benefit,” said News Digital.
“Additionally, public officials should not use government powers or resources – positions, positions, equipment, etc. – for fundraising,” she said.
Arnold added that additional information would be needed to determine whether an ethics violation occurred. If so, there may have been a violation.
“It is important to know what kind of event this was and what abilities and roles she appeared in. This included whether it was a fundraising event, a closed event, or open to the public. and whether her appearance was to raise money for her former employer,” she continued.
“In addition to interactions with her former employer, ethical issues may arise if event attendees have errands in front of her federal agency.”
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However, a Clements spokesperson dismissed concerns that the commissioner had acted unethically, saying it regularly briefs stakeholders on the FERC’s activities as part of its “open door policy.” rice field.
“The Commissioner has an open door policy and, subject to unilateral restrictions, does not allow representatives of utilities, regional grid operators, gas pipeline companies, consumer advocates, NGOs, and trade while on the Commission. We have held hundreds of stakeholder meetings, including with associations,” a spokesperson for Clements told Fox News Digital.
And the Energy Foundation likewise said the event was part of a regular industry briefing.
“The Energy Foundation supports education and analytics to advance renewable energy and energy efficiency, while opening the door to greater innovation and productivity, growing economies with dramatically less pollution, a nonpartisan and impartial Facilitate Policy Solutions” by email.
“To support our mission, we regularly hold briefings for climate and clean energy charities and hear from experts in the field.”
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Farooque did not respond to questions about the briefing being a “funders only” event.
However, in addition to the Energy Foundation briefing, other emails obtained by the IER show that Clements consulted with the leader of another climate group he previously worked for, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). I was.
Records show that Clements personally met with NRDC president and CEO Manish Bapna in April.
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The IER obtained the record as part of that. Broader Efforts to Obtain Communication Between the White House and FERC Chairman Rich Glick. The group has filed a lawsuit against the FERC for obstructing records requests.
“We have given the FERC every opportunity and provided a record to confirm that Commissioners Glick and Clements are not coordinating with the White House on the Biden administration’s ‘whole of government’ approach. told Fox News Digital at the time.
“So far, the FERC has not provided any evidence.”