AG hopeful tried to aid D.C. lobbyist
A candidate who has sharply criticized D.C. lobbyists during his campaign for attorney general tried to help one get a federal job last year.
Gentner Drummond reached out last summer to the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of Katherine English, emails show. She was a top lobbyist in Washington for years at The Dow Chemical Co.
“This is the definition of hypocrisy,” said Robyn Matthews, campaign manager for Attorney General Mike Hunter.
Drummond is seeking to unseat Hunter, who was appointed to the position last year by Gov. Mary Fallin. The Republican primary runoff election is Aug. 28.
The criticism of lobbyists has come up during the campaign because of Hunter’s time in Washington working as the chief operating officer at two trade organizations.
Drummond has said Hunter made a career as a lobbyist “peddling his influence to out-ofstate special interests.” Drummond has called Washington a “swamp” and said lobbyists there twist the truth every day to deceive people.
Hunter has complained that characterizing him as a lobbyist is “just not descriptive of what I did.” He said he was helping former Gov. Frank Keating represent the nation’s life insurers first and then the nation’s bankers.
Drummond contacted the EPA for English because she is the niece of a former law partner and cousin, who died years ago, and he did not know she was a lobbyist, according to his campaign.
English became a lobbyist in Washington after serving as counsel to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for Sen. Jim Inhofe, records show.
“As I said in my email, I would have been happy to see another Oklahoman join the EPA staff, especially one who had worked
for Senator Inhofe on the Environment and Public Works Committee,” Drummond said.
“If she were a lobbyist, then perhaps she should have sought an appointment to the Attorney General’s Office from Governor Fallin instead,” he said.
ABC News reported on the emails this week in a broader story about Scott Pruitt, who resigned Thursday as EPA administrator.
“I am aware that you
have visited with Katherine regarding a position within the EPA,” Drummond wrote in a June 29, 2017, email to EPA Chief of Staff Ryan Jackson.
He wrote he had known her for most of her life and would love to see another Oklahoman at the EPA.
“I am pleased to call or email Scott,” he also wrote. “What is your recommendation? The last cell number that I have for Scott is [redacted].”
Jackson responded that
he knew Katherine really well and “that would be fine.”
Drummond emailed Jackson again two weeks later: “I have left Scott a voice message and a text but have not heard back, which is understandable given his ever-expanding role. What are your thoughts on a position for Katherine within the Agency?”
Drummond told ABC News he never heard back from Jackson after that last email.