Monday, July 21, 2008

Add Possible Conflict of Interest to Mark Udall's List of Energy-Related Problems

The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports:
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark Udall’s plans to encourage the use of renewable energy could end up benefiting several of the congressman’s investments, according to a review of his recent financial disclosure forms.

Udall’s May 22 disclosure to the Senate Ethics Committee reveals he has at least $31,000 invested in mutual funds and IRAs backed by clean-energy investments.

These investments could benefit from policies Udall has announced his support for both on the campaign trail and during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The top holdings for Powershares WilderHill Clean Energy, in which Udall has invested from $16,000 to $45,000, include First Solar Inc., an Arizona-based firm developing solar-energy technology.

Udall has purchased $15,000 to $50,000 worth of shares in the Winsloe Green Growth mutual fund, which also has invested in the solar-technology firm.

Udall purchased shares in both investments Nov. 13, according to his financial disclosure.
Mark Udall's relations in the energy world have already evidenced public hypocrisy and possible coordinated smear attacks against his opponent. What abouta little conflict of interest to top it all off?

If this story were about Bob Schaffer, it would be a blazing headline in the Denver papers. Will the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News dig deeper into Mark Udall's energy-based hypocrisy and apparently conflicted interests?

2 comments:

Ron Simpson said...

http://clutteredeclecticmind.blogspot.com/2008/07/ponder-this-for-moment.html

This is a question I pondered on my blog.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how many in Congress have a vested interest in pushing the global warming agenda?

Unknown said...

Udall has put his money where his mouth is. I certainly don't support anyone using a political agenda for profiteering, but investing it seems these investments are about supporting technology that America needs. He also hasn't done anything to support the specific companies he has invested in, just renewables in general. Shaffer on the other hand has showed his values by going against the State Department to make deals in Kurdistan and back companies in Sudan that contribute to genocide. His war profiteering is shameful.