Dirty Dozen 2012

President :

For additional information on Mitt Romney's Big Oil record, visit www.lcv.org/romney.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/28/12

WASHINGTON – As the speeches kick off today in Tampa, the League of Conservation Voters released a tally of the millions of dollars that oil and gas interests have given to Mitt Romney, the RNC and the speakers at this year’s Republican National Convention. Romney is so deeply in the tank for Big Oil that LCV today also named him to its “Dirty Dozen” program, which targets candidates— regardless of party affiliation — who consistently side against clean energy and conservation.

“Oil and gas interests have given more than $20 million to Mitt Romney and his allies in Tampa, so we shouldn't be surprised when they mock clean energy technologies and attack the President’s clean energy agenda.  If Romney makes it to the White House, Big Oil will truly have a reason to celebrate,” said Navin Nayak, LCV Senior Vice President of Campaigns.

Romney will be leading the charge in defending Big Oil this week because Big Oil is standing up for him. Between his two Presidential campaigns, the oil and gas industry has so far given him more than $2.7 million, with Big Oil interests like the Koch brothers pledging to spend hundreds of millions more to defeat the President this fall.

Just how much has the oil and gas industry given to Romney, the RNC and speakers at this year’s convention?

Romney’s radical energy policies have landed him on LCV’s “Dirty Dozen” program. Since 1996, 60 percent of the “Dirty Dozen” have been defeated. LCV has previously named Virginia Senate candidate George Allen, New Mexico Senate candidate Heather Wilson and Rep. Tim Holden to its 2012 “Dirty Dozen.” Rep. Holden was defeated earlier this year in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district.

In April, the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund and Priorities USA Action partnered to release a television ad titled “$200 Million Man” to highlight Romney’s pledge to protect Big Oil at the expense of middle class Americans.

*This list is compiled of speakers that have been announced as taking part in the RNC convention. Contribution amounts have been compiled from The Center for Responsive Politics and The National Institute for Money in State Politics for federal and non-federal candidates respectively. In instances where individuals have been both federal and non-federal candidates, totals from each source have been aggregated. In some instances records were not available, so the total amount of oil and gas money received by GOP convention speakers is likely even higher. 

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Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters, www.lcv.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.