COLORADO GOP PRESS OFFICE

CONTACT: Kyle Kohli | 303.961.0646 (C) | kyle@cologop.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. – Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House released the following statement on Hillary Clinton naming Ken Salazar to head her transition team:

“Ken Salazar’s appointment to Clinton’s transition team sends a message of clear hostility to middle class Colorado energy workers,” said Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House.

“Salazar was no friend of Colorado’s vital resource development industry while in the Obama administration, and his appointment underscores how committed Hillary Clinton is to devastating Colorado energy jobs.”

###

BACKGROUND:

Salazar was openly antagonistic toward the oil and gas industry when he was Interior Secretary. “After months of doing battle with the oil and gas industry, the typically cautious Salazar lost his cool in a media call Jan. 6, blasting companies for acting like they were ‘kings of the world’ and treating the country’s public lands as their own personal ‘candy store.’” (Michael Riley, “Interior Chief Salazar’s First Year A Gusher Of Controversy,” The Denver Post, 1/23/10)

Salazar was responsible for “sinking an industry responsible for the region’s biggest energy boom in a generation.” “Salazar’s fight with oil and gas drillers has been both open and angry. A recent editorial in the Oil and Gas Journal charged Salazar with ‘duplicity’ and accused him of sinking an industry responsible for the region’s biggest energy boom in a generation.” (Michael Riley, “Interior Chief Salazar’s First Year A Gusher Of Controversy,” The Denver Post, 1/23/10)

Salazar has been accused of being in the pocket of the environmentalist lobby. “But to critics, Salazar is committing the same sins of which he often accuses the prior administration — politicizing decisions, shutting out views and pursuing an agenda that swaps an industry clique for an environmental one.” (Michael Riley, “Interior Chief Salazar’s First Year A Gusher Of Controversy,” The Denver Post, 1/23/10)
At a March 2016 debate, Clinton discussed her coal communities plan, saying it was needed because “we’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” CLINTON: “So for example, I’m the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country. Because we’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right, Tim? And we’re going to make it clear that we don’t want to forget those people. Those people labored in those mines for generations, losing their health, often losing their lives to turn on our lights and power our factories. Now we’ve got to move away from coal and all the other fossil fuels, but I don’t want to move away from the people who did the best they could to produce the energy that we relied on.” (Hillary Clinton, CNN Democratic Presidential Candidate Town Hall, 3/13/16)

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. – Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House released the following statement on the State Department withholding key financial disclosure information on corrupt Clinton Foundation and Michael Bennet donor Raj K. Fernando:

“Michael Bennet’s refusal to return his max contribution from corrupt Clinton Foundation donor Raj K. Fernando casts serious doubt on Bennet’s commitment to transparency,” said Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House.

“With the State Department refusing to release copies of financial and ethics disclosure filings that potentially led to Fernando being denied a security clearance, it is clear the Clintons and their allies in the administration are circling the wagons to protect their corrupt benefactor.”

“Considering Fernando has already purchased access to the Clintons, Coloradans deserve to know what Fernando is expecting in return from Michael Bennet.”

###

BACKGROUND:

The State Department is refusing to release financial and ethics disclosure forms on Raj K. Fernando. “The State Department declined to provide copies of Fernando’s financial and ethics disclosure filings to ABC News in July. Elizabeth Trudeau, a department spokeswoman, said in response to the request that, “While some financial disclosure forms are publicly available upon request, others are confidential.” (“Records Sought for Clinton Foundation Donor Placed on Intel Board,” ABC News, Matthew Mosk, August 12 2016)

• The disclosures may reveal why Fernando was denied a security clearance. “Today’s filing asks the court to force the State Department to turn over copies of Fernando’s financial and ethics disclosure filings, ‘submitted on his behalf to State in May 2011 in connection with a security clearance form.’ ‘We know there was an ‘issue’ that held up Raj Fernando’s security clearance and these two documents will go a long way in explaining the issue,’ Bossie said.”
• Fernando declined to be interviewed at the DNC. “ABC News sought to ask Fernando about the issue at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where he was serving as a Super Delegate for Clinton. He declined to be interviewed.”

ABC News: CGI donor Raj. K. Fernando put on sensitive intel board for which he was unqualified by Clinton staff

STORY: “Newly released State Department emails help reveal how a major Clinton Foundation donor was placed on a sensitive government intelligence advisory board even though he had no obvious experience in the field, a decision that appeared to baffle the department’s professional staff. The emails further reveal how, after inquiries from ABC News, the Clinton staff sought to ‘protect the name’ of the Secretary, ‘stall’ the ABC News reporter and ultimately accept the resignation of the donor just two days later. (“How Clinton Donor Got on Sensitive Intelligence Board,”  ABC News, Matthew Mosk, Brian Ross, June 10 2016)

Raj. K Fernando is a maximum donor to Sen. Michael Bennet. “FERNANDO, RAJ,CHICAGO, IL 60600, CHOPPER TRADING, 3/14/16, $2,700, Bennet, Michael F (D),” (Elections and Donor Lookup, Open Secrets, Accessed June 10 2016)

Come and meet the GOP Candidate to be District Attorney for the

9th Judicial District, encompassing Garfield, Rio Blanco and Pitkin Counties.

When: August 16th from 5 to 7 pm
Where: Garfield County GOP office