House panel wants enviro activist group's communications with EPA's McCarthy

BY MARK TAPSCOTT |
APRIL 8, 2015 | 5:00 AM

Lamar Smith and Gina McCarthy have tangled frequently regarding congressional oversight. (AP Photo) A House committee investigating the destruction of more than 5,000 official cellular telephone text messages by the Environmental Protection Agency wants a major nonprofit activist group to provide copies of all its communications with Gina McCarthy, the agency's chief, on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

"You and Administrator McCarthy have apparently worked closely together on important issues, and as your text message to the administrator indicates, you have similar goals on Keystone XL," Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas., told League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski in a letter made public Tuesday.

Smith is chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. The panel subpoenaed McCarthy's billing records for the device March 25, 2015.

Prior to issuing the subpoena, the panel was told by the environmental agency that McCarthy had received only one text message dealing with official business. That message was from Karpinski and complimented McCarthy on her comments about Keystone. McCarthy responded by telling Karpinski that she doesn't use text messaging for government business.

Smith and McCarthy have tangled frequently regarding congressional oversight, particularly with regard to the agency's refusal to provide documents the panel requested concerning the evidence used to justify proposed environmental regulations.

"As the committee continues its oversight of EPA's claim that Administrator McCarthy has only sent or received one text message that qualifies as a federal record, additional information is required...Please provide all documents and communications between Administrator Gina McCarthy and the League of Conservation Voters, including yourself, regarding Keystone XL from January 2013 to the present, including text messages, emails and phone records, by noon on April 21, 2015," Smith said in his letter to Karpinski.
Karpinski's group has received nearly $90 million in 1,056 contributions since 2000 from liberal philanthropies and individuals, including the Tides Foundation. Tides pioneered the use of an umbrella foundation of wealthy individuals wishing to remain anonymous to funnel millions of dollars in "dark money" to their favored causes.

Go here for the full text of Smith's letter to Karpinski.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ho...rticle/2562673