FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 4, 2019

CONTACT:
David Turnbull, Oil Change U.S., 202-316-3499
RL Miller, Climate Hawks Vote, 818-518-3470

No Fossil Fuel Money Coalition Members Respond to Joe Biden Fundraiser Flap

Tonight at CNN’s Climate Town Hall, Joe Biden was asked a question regarding an upcoming fundraiser in support of the Biden campaign being hosted by Andrew Goldman, a long-term LNG investor and cofounder of Western LNG. 

The No Fossil Fuel Money pledge — which Biden and all other major Democratic presidential candidates have signed — says that candidates should not take contributions over $200 from executives of the fossil fuel industry. ‘Executives’ are defined in the pledge as named executive officers in SEC filings, to provide a clear demarcation for campaigns to apply in screens and to ensure the pledge targets top executives and not the majority of fossil fuel workers. 

In response, No Fossil Fuel Money coalition members released the following statements. 

David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director of Oil Change U.S., said: 

“It’s true that Andrew Goldman is not an SEC-named executive officer for Western LNG, so any contributions would not technically violate Vice President Biden’s No Fossil Fuel Money pledge. While it may not technically violate the pledge, it clearly goes against its spirit. 

“We defined the pledge’s rule to make it simple for candidates to commit to and follow, not to provide loopholes to continue raising funds from fossil fuel-adjacent sources. We hope all candidates who sign the pledge truly endorse its goal of ridding our politics of the influence of the fossil fuel industry. Unfortunately the fundraiser hosted by Andrew Goldman calls that commitment into question when it comes to Vice President Biden.”

RL Miller, Political Director of Climate Hawks Vote, said: 

“We’re disappointed to see Vice President Biden attempting to cite the technicalities of the pledge rather than simply comply with its spirit. It’s not a good look. We urge Biden to cancel this fundraiser and instead commit to transforming our economy to clean energy and phasing out liquified natural gas and other fossil fuel infrastructure as rapidly as the science demands.” 

Notes to Editors: 

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/FAQ

Presidential signers of the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/presidential-signers/

All signers of the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge can be found here: http://nofossilfuelmoney.org/pledge-signers/

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