When the first Freedom of Information Act request came through Kerry's office, I told you it was a problem.
The fact that email names were redacted had my ears up about outside agencies helping to formulate legislation.
Now, the watchdog group Protect the Public's Trust (PPT) is making public the documents it was able to obtain that were unredacted, and it is not good.
Calling the Shots
It is not uncommon for any administration to use outside consultants when crafting certain legislation.
Industry experts are one thing.
Allowing groups that have piled cash into the campaign and party is something else entirely.
Buying Influence
Steve Herz, a Sierra Club senior attorney and international climate policy adviser, wrote to Kerry's office, "I've been doing a bunch of thinking on potential next steps on the agenda of ending investment in new coal, particularly after the China announcement.
"Would you have 20 minutes in the coming days?"
He further stated, "I think Biden has the executive authority to take a range of steps to end [new coal financing], starting with preventing US banks funding.
"And pushing the UK, Japanese, and others to do the same with their private banks."
So, you have an outside group literally giving Biden orders on what he can do to further their agenda.
Another group, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) was also in contact with Kerry's office to make some suggestions.
Brendan Guy, the director of NRDC's international program, wrote, "We are fully aware [REDACTED] schedule is insane, but we'd be grateful for a bit of time to discuss as we see this as one of the major political outcomes … we need to land this week."
None of the emails that were turned over showed this kind of treatment for fossil fuel industry leaders.
Considering the current situation in this country, we would think this administration would be begging them to come in for a chat.
PPT Director Michael Chamberlain stated, "Each set of documents PPT has obtained from the State Department reveals the blurred line between the President's appointees who are supposed to work for the American public and powerful special interests who work for unknown billionaires and, in some cases, have questionable ties to the Chinese government.
"The more we learn, the more it calls into question whether policy from John Kerry's office is being outsourced to special interests with an agenda that could be driving America's energy and inflation crises."
This is not something Biden and company will be able to brush under the rug, either.
They have less than three months before the doors start to get blown off the hinges on all of this.
Source: Fox News
