🔗 Share this article Report Finds More Than 40 White House Officials Have Close Ties to Coal Sector Based on a fresh review, scores of individuals having histories in the fossil fuel industry have been appointed within the present leadership, including over 40 who earlier served straight for gas corporations. Context of the Report The study examined the profiles of appointees and appointees positioned in the executive branch and eight government departments overseeing environmental policy. These cover major organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, and the Energy Department. Broader Policy Climate The review surfaces amid ongoing actions to roll back environmental rules and alternative energy programs. For instance, recent bills have opened large regions of government territory for extraction and reduced support for renewable power. Amid the firehose of bad things that have happened on the ecological front... it’s important to inform the people that these are not just steps from the nebulous, huge thing that is the administration broadly, commented one researcher involved in the analysis. It is often particular actors coming from particular moneyed sectors that are executing this damaging deregulatory agenda. Key Findings Analysts found 111 staff whom they classified as industry insiders and alternative energy adversaries. This covers 43 people who were previously working by coal companies. Included in them are well-known top leaders like the top energy official, who earlier acted as chief executive of a hydraulic fracturing corporation. This group also contains lower-profile White House members. For example, the office responsible for energy efficiency is managed by a former gas executive. Similarly, a senior regulatory consultant in the executive office has occupied high-ranking jobs at major energy firms. Additional Links Another 12 officials have connections to energy-financed rightwing policy organizations. Those include former members and researchers of organizations that have actively fought renewable energy and advocated the continuation of fossil fuels. Additionally 29 additional staff are previous corporate executives from polluting industries whose operations are closely linked to fossil fuels. Other personnel have associations with power providers that distribute traditional energy or government officials who have advocated pro-gas initiatives. Departmental Emphasis Analysts discovered that 32 staff at the interior agency alone have ties to fossil fuel energy, establishing it as the most heavily influenced government agency. This encompasses the head of the agency, who has long accepted industry funding and functioned as a link between fossil fuel business donors and the administration. Campaign Funding Fossil fuel donors donated sizable resources to the presidential initiative and inauguration. Since assuming power, the administration has not only established energy-sector regulations but also designed tax breaks and exceptions that favor the sector. Qualifications Concerns In addition to industry-linked candidates, the authors identified a number of administration higher-ups who were appointed to key roles with scant or no pertinent knowledge. Those individuals may not be tied to fossil fuels so closely, but their unfamiliarity is problematic, said one researcher. It’s reasonable to think they will be easily influenced, or vulnerable targets, for the oil industry’s objectives. As an example, the candidate to lead the environmental agency’s department of general counsel has minimal legal background, having not ever argued a legal matter to resolution, nor conducted a deposition, and never argued a court petition. In a separate example, a White House aide working on regulatory issues moved to the position after being employed in jobs disconnected to the sector, with no obvious specific sector or regulatory experience. White House Statement A spokesperson for the executive branch dismissed the analysis, stating that the government’s personnel are exceptionally qualified to implement on the people’s mandate to boost domestic energy output. Previous and Present Context This government enacted a substantial array of anti-environmental measures during its previous term. During its present term, backed with pro-business plans, it has spearheaded a far more extensive and more aggressive dismantling on environmental rules and alternative sources. There is no hesitation, commented one expert. They are proud and prepared to go out there and tout the fact that they are performing benefits for the oil and gas business, extractive field, the coal sector.