The left-wing Sunrise Movement, a climate change group, blasted Joe Biden’s choice of Cedric Richmond as a potential adviser because of his ties to the oil and gas industry.
Biden named Richmond as a senior advisor, according to the Hill:
The group called the appointment of Richmond, who was also a national co-chairman of the Biden campaign, a “betrayal.”
“One of President-Elect Biden’s very first hires for his new administration has taken more donations from the fossil fuel industry during his Congressional career than nearly any other Democrat, cozied up to Big Oil and Gas, and stayed silent and ignored meeting with organizations in his own community while they suffered from toxic pollution and sea-level rise,” said Varshini Prakash, the group’s executive director, in a statement.
“That’s a mistake, and it’s an affront to young people who made President-Elect Biden’s victory possible. President-Elect Biden assured our movement he understands the urgency of this crisis; now, it’s time for him to act like it,” Prakash added.
A Biden-Harris transition official told the Hill in an email they are committed to fighting climate change.
“The incoming White House staff members are committed to building an administration that will tackle the climate crisis and fight for environmental justice,” the email said.
Richmond got $113,000 in campaign donations in this election cycle from the oil and gas sector, according to Open Secrets. Richmond also voted to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
“Progressive groups in recent days have also come out against other potential Biden picks over fossil fuels,” the Hill reported. “On Monday, they urged the transition not to select former Obama Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to lead the Energy Department, partly due to his past work for British Petroleum, and on Tuesday, they urged Biden away from choosing former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-Minn.) for Agriculture secretary.”
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