Environmental groups say they are appalled by the lobbyists’ connections to Kerry. Keystone, Kerry ties draw scrutiny

Opponents of the Keystone XL oil pipeline are crying foul over revelations that one of the project’s biggest champions has hired lobbyists with ties to Secretary of State John Kerry.

At least two lobbyists assigned to push for the pipeline on behalf of the government of Alberta, Canada, previously worked for Kerry’s presidential campaign. And the Boston Globe reports that the president of one of the lobbying firms is a friend of Kerry, who must decide in the coming months whether approving Keystone would be in the U.S. national interest.


Alberta’s lobbying hires are part of an escalating pro-Keystone campaign that also includes an advertising blitz by the Canadian government and a continued push by the pipeline’s developer, TransCanada. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver and Alberta Premier Alison Redford have all made high-profile pitches to Washington to approve the project.

But environmental groups say they are particularly appalled by the lobbyists’ connections to Kerry.

( PHOTOS: Keystone XL pipeline protest)

“The most effective, tried-and-true method to sway policy decision makers is to put their former staff, advisors and/or colleagues on your payroll,” Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, told POLITICO in an email. He added, “It is money and influence-peddling that, more often than not, sets energy policy, rather than merits, science or national interest.”

Bill McKibben, founder of the activist group 350.org, said: “It is telling to see how desperate the tarsands barons are. They’ve lost the argument; their strategy for winning the fight is to shout louder and toss money at people.”

Some environmental groups stressed that they remain hopeful that Canada’s lobbying won’t sway Kerry, a long-time proponent of action to tackle climate change.

“I think it’s pretty clear that Secretary Kerry has been a long-time champion for confronting the climate crisis,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of government affairs at the League of Conservation Voters. “Certainly proponents of the pipeline can hire whomever they want, but we remain optimistic.”

A spokesman for the Alberta government said the lobbying push is aimed at providing “scientific facts” to policymakers.

“We have hired consultants to help us sharpen our message and assist with providing scientific facts to decision makers about the oil sands,” Mike Deising, the province’s director of strategic outreach, said in a statement. “There are lots of voices in Washington that can speak to either side of the debate around Keystone but we are working diligently to provide information on the stringent regulatory and environmental performance aspects of the oil sands.”

( PHOTOS: John Kerry’s career)

Environmental groups have launched a lobbying campaign of their own to defeat the pipeline. The campaign has included massive protests outside the White House and paid advertising.

The State Department says everyone should understand that Kerry will make his decision “based on the facts and after the department has completed the established process.”

“Every lobbying group, on either side, should put their checkbooks away,” department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement to POLITICO. “Secretary Kerry has a long history as an advocate for environmental issues and the State Department takes all input very seriously which is why we had a public comment period.”

Still, neither side is giving up.

As POLITICO reported in April, the Alberta government has hired the firms Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications and Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti to lobby on the pipeline.

David Castagnetti, who previously served as director of congressional relations for Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, is one of the Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti employees assigned to the Keystone account, according to disclosure forms filed with the Justice Department. He did not respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, the Rasky Baerlin employees assigned to lobby on Keystone include Graham Shalgian, who says in his online bio that his “experience includes both the ‘Obama for America’ and ‘John Kerry for President’ campaigns.” In addition, Joseph Baerlein, president of the firm, is a long-time friend of Kerry’s, according to The Boston Globe.

Baerlein did not respond to a request for comment about his firm’s Keystone work.

Alberta hired Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti in March for “strategic consulting in educating U.S. government officials about the Keystone XL pipeline and Alberta’s energy resources.” Alberta’s contract with the firm lasts until Saturday and is worth $74,000.

The province’s contract with Rasky Baerlin, which began in March and ends June 15, says the firm will “reach out and engage U.S. Administration, key Senate and Congressional committees to promote Alberta’s energy” and “develop and implement a strategic outreach plan through the remainder of the anticipated Keystone XL permit application period,” among other things. The firm is due to be paid $125,000.

Deising said there have been “no discussions” so far to extend the firms’ contracts once they expire.

In February, Alberta also named David Manning, a former oil lobbyist, as its envoy to Washington. Manning was a senior vice president at the Boston engineering firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin and an adviser at M.J. Bradley & Associates. He formerly served as president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and a top official at a New York electric utility.

Manning, according to a March filing with the Justice Department, “will accompany Alberta public officials and elected policy makers when they meet with U.S. Federal officials such as the Department of State and the Department of Energy. He will also support such meetings with U.S. Federal and State elected officials, their staff and administration.”

The filing adds: “Alberta is interested in expanding energy exports, particularly to U.S. markets and infrastructure projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline are seeking approval before U.S. regulatory agencies. It will be Mr. Manning’s role to support public education and advocate for a better understanding of the economic and energy security benefits of Canadian Energy for the U.S.”

Another filing says Manning has developed relationships “with elected officials at all levels of government.”

Meanwhile, TransCanada said this week that it will continue to work with SKDKnickerbocker, a public relations firm that includes former White House communications director Anita Dunn among its roster of managing directors. TransCanada had previously faced a backlash for hiring a former Hillary Clinton presidential campaign aide as a lobbyist.

“SKDK is a well-known advertising and communications firm, helped shape our advertising campaign in 2011 to help counter the misinformation opponents of the Keystone XL proposal were spreading about TransCanada and the pipeline, and will play a similar role in 2013,” TransCanada spokesman Shawn Howard said in a statement. “They are not lobbyists; we have hired them for their communications and advertising expertise and are proud of our association with them.”