End Citizens United Spokesperson Grace Silva released the following statement on a report that Representative Jen Kiaggans (R-VA) requested an earmark that would specifically benefit two of her corporate PAC donors:
“It’s clear that Representative Kiggans is putting her big corporate PAC donors ahead of Virginia families. She’s ready to force taxpayers to pay millions of dollars to help line the pockets of corporations in exchange for campaign donations. Virginians will remember her blatant corruption and hold her accountable at the ballot box this fall.”
Politico Influence: Lot Sixteen adds a Republican
Caitlin Oprysko and Daniel Lippman
7/11
Key Sections:
- Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) recently requested millions of taxpayer dollars in an earmark for a natural gas pipeline that could specifically benefit two companies whose corporate PACs had recently donated thousands of dollars to her campaign, Daniel reports.
- The corporate PAC for Rocket Lab, a satellite and space company, donated $2,500 to Kiggans in early February and $1,000 in March 2023. On April 22 she met with the CEO of the company, Peter Beck, calling it an “honor.” The same day, DLA Piper disclosed in its quarterly report that Tony Samp and Nathaniel Bell had lobbied both the House and the Senate on appropriations funding bills in the first quarter on behalf of Rocket Lab.
- Less than two weeks later, Kiggans requested $7.4 million in appropriations to expand a Maryland natural gas pipeline into Eastern Virginia that Rocket Lab last year was reportedly eyeing to use for fuel in some of its spacecraft launches.
- The corporate PAC for Tyson Foods also gave $1,000 to her campaign last November; Kiggans said in her request for the pipeline expansion that Tyson was among the “potential anchor customers” for the gas line.
###