FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2021
Contact:
Brandon Dawson, brandon.dawson@sierraclub.org (830) 309-1092
August Update to Tracking the Dirty Dollars Project Reveals Republican Party Tripled Contributions from Polluters
SACRAMENTO— Sierra Club California has released the August 2021 Update to its Tracking the Dirty Dollars Project. This update found that the California Republican Party has accepted over $300,000 from the fossil fuel industry and its allies this year, more than tripling their contributions since Sierra Club’s last report update in May.
“Once again, Republican legislators have sided with polluters and taken hundreds of thousands of dirty dollars from the oil and gas industries,” said Brandon Dawson, director of the Sierra Club California. “This newest round of dirty money shows the oil and gas industries are committed to undermining the Democratic stronghold in the legislature and imperiling the health and safety of millions of Californians.”
While some state legislators made it out of another quarter avoiding unsavory campaign contributions, several others -- including quite a few Assembly Democrats -- amassed stashes of dirty dollars.
Assemblymember Rudy Salas, Jr., leads all assembly members with $18,800, and Freddie Rodriguez was close behind with $17,200. Mike Gipson’s dirty donations totaled $13,400. Given these legislators’ scorecard grades and poor environmental track record in the Assembly, these donation totals are disappointing, but not surprising. Moreover, Salas has long touted his close link to the oil industry, even featuring photos of himself with oil rigs in his campaign literature.
Notably, two Assembly progressives also reported significant dirty donation totals. Assembly Transportation Chair Laura Friedman has accepted $10,900 in campaign contributions from oil and gas interests this year, and Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Lorena Gonzalez received $14,700 in dirty dollar donations this quarter. Gonzalez sits in one of the most powerful seats in the legislature. These donations are deeply troubling for two powerful Assembly Members.
Sierra Club California launched the Tracking the Dirty Dollars Project in November 2020 to shed light on oil and gas contributions to legislators and other state-level elected officials. The project sorts through existing public databases to identify who receives contributions from oil and gas companies and their allies through direct campaign contributions, independent expenditure campaigns, and gifts. The project then presents the information in a clear format that makes it much easier for the general public and environmental activists to see what their elected leaders have received.
A cover report discussing the August installment and the data sheets comprising the three installments are available on Sierra Club California’s website. More information about the project is included in a November 2020 blog e-mailed to Sierra Club members and supporters around the state.
Sierra Club California is the legislative and regulatory arm of Sierra Club’s 13 local chapters in California, representing nearly half a million members and supporters.