Leaked Audio Exposes Oil & Gas Execs Laughing With Joy Over Cozy Access to Trump Officials

[G_j]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/03/23/leaked-audio-exposes-oil-gas-execs-laughing-joy-over-cozy-access-trump-officials

"It's really a new world for us and very, very helpful," said powerful fossil fuel lobby group's CEO during closed-door meeting

by Jon Queally,

A newly-leaked audio recording reveals that oil and gas executives in a private meeting were "giddy" with laughter in the summer of 2017 as they rejoiced over the "unprecedented access" they were being given to the highest levels of the Trump administration, boasting about their ability to have closed-door meetings with top officials and the ascendance of their own industry colleagues to some of the most powerful seats of government.

Among the topics in the recording, reports Reveal at the Center for Investigative Reporting—which was provided the audio—the oil and gas executives who belong to the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) "are heard discussing David Bernhardt, now deputy secretary of the Interior and a former industry lobbyist." Notably, Bernhardt—described by the executives in the recording as a close friend and industry operative—has now been nominated by President Trump to be the next Secretary of Interior, with his confirmation hearings scheduled for next week.

Lance Williams, a senior reporter for Reveal, detailed the contents of the recorded June 2017 meeting, which took place inside a Ritz-Carlton hotel conference room in Southern California, with an extensive piece for Politico's weekend magazine published Saturday. Williams said the "recording gives a rare look behind the curtain of an influential oil industry lobbying group" congratulating itself on their political fortunes under a friendly administration.

Williams reports:

Dan Naatz, the association's political director, told the conference room audience of about 100 executives that Bernhardt’s new role meant their priorities would be heard at the highest levels of Interior.

"We know him very well, and we have direct access to him, have conversations with him about issues ranging from federal land access to endangered species, to a lot of issues," Naatz said, according to an hourlong recording...

..more..

[dalton99a]

1. "Direct access".

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Teapot Dome is now business as usual.

That’s rather depressing.

[G_j]

5. Yep, we were taught about that in school.

Guess this sort of thing was once considered scandalous.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Teapot-Dome-Scandal

[democratisphere]

3. White collar crime never had it so good.

[smirkymonkey]

4. This country is a fucking mess and getting worse by the day.

Our number one priority needs to be removing Trump from office, because nothing good will be possible until that happens.

[G_j]

6. unprecedented access to people that are in these positions who are trying to help us

https://www.revealnews.org/article/oil-executives-predicted-expanded-influence-in-trumps-interior-department/

“It’s really a new thing for us,” said Barry Russell, the association’s CEO, boasting of his meetings with Environmental Protection Agency chief at the time, Scott Pruitt, and the then-Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke. “For example, next week I’m invited to the White House to talk about tax code. Last week we were talking to Secretary Pruitt, and in about two weeks we have a meeting with Secretary Zinke. So we have unprecedented access to people that are in these positions who are trying to help us, which is great.”