Garrett’s Stands with Big Oil — As Exxon Profits, So Does Garrett

August 4th, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 4th, 2008
Contact: Jeff Hauser, (201) 767-8162, jeff@shulmanforcongress.com

Garrett Votes With Exxon This and Every Week — And Surprisingly, He Has Taken $8000 In His Career From Exxon Mobil

Haworth, NJ: The Shulman for Congress campaign notes with concern that Northern New Jersey is suffering from record gas prices while Exxon is reporting the greatest profits in American corporate history.

Last week, three New Jersey Republican Congressmen joined a large, bipartisan majority in voting to try to address the pain people are experiencing at the pump by voting for the Commodity Market Transparency and Accountability Act (H.R. 6604). This bill was a pragmatic, centrist effort to address pain at the pump by curbing excessive speculation in the energy markets, closing the Enron loophole, and strengthening the enforcement of laws against price manipulation and fraud.

“Scott Garrett should have stood with New Jersey’s struggling families rather than yet again standing with speculators and Big Oil,” said Dennis Shulman, the Democratic nominee for Congress in New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District. “Garrett is part of the corrupt special interest culture in Washington — in the same week that Exxon gleefully reported its record breaking profits, Garrett chose to stand by a company that has provided him $8,000 in campaign contributions rather than his constituents.”

“Be it placing a key Countrywide Financial lobbyist on the taxpayer’s payroll as his Chief of Staff, taking loyally fighting for tax breaks for Big Oil, or holding onto money from indicted Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens, convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and disgraced former McCain adviser Phil Gramm, Garrett seems to play a role in every Washington scandal,” continued Shulman.

Garrett is one of only 14 members of the House of Representatives to have received money from Ted Stevens.  Garrett recently voted against the DRILL act, which would have forced oil companies to drill on land they already lease but are not using before receiving more public land for drilling.

Garrett sits on the housing subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee.  His chief of staff is a former lobbyist for Countrywide Financial.

Several prominent Republicans who have received contributions from Stevens have recently announced they will donate the money to charity.

SOURCES:
2008 1K: http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00121368&cycle=2008

2004 2K: http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00121368&cycle=2004

2002 5K: http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00121368&cycle=2002

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Dennis Shulman was recently profiled by The New Yorker and Time as momentum for his campaign continues to grow, and recent polling in the district validates the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s recent decision to upgrade NJ-5 as an “Emerging Race.”  Only 31% of likely voters in NJ-5 plan to re-elect Garrett and, by a 68-17% margin, the district seeks change from George Bush’s policies.

Dr. Dennis Shulman has gained international recognition for his 30 years of work as a psychologist, educator, and author.  An ordained rabbi for five years and blind since childhood, he has lived in New Jersey’s Fifth District for more than 25 years with his wife, Dr. Pamela Tropper, an obstetrician. They have two adult daughters.

Additional background on Dr. Dennis Shulman and his challenge to Scott Garrett:

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