Rick Perry is on the payroll of a controversial oil pipeline company in Texas
When former Texas Gov. Rick Perry launched his bid for the Republican presidential nomination earlier this month, he declared his campaign would emphasize energy policy. “Energy is vital to our economy, and to our national security,” Perry said during his announcement speech. He vowed to green-light the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.
Perry’s staunch support of the energy industry is nothing new; he was a reliable ally of the energy sector throughout his 14 years as governor. But this year, Perry gained a new incentive for helping energy companies: He started working for one. And two weeks into his presidential campaign, he’s still on its payroll.
On Feb. 3, two weeks after ending his term as governor, Perry took a position on the corporate board of Energy Transfer Partners, a Texas-based pipeline company that transports natural gas and crude oil. “The Board selected Mr. Perry to serve as a director because of his vast experience as an executive in the highest office of state government,” ETP’s website says. “In addition, Mr. Perry has been involved in finance and budget planning processes throughout his career in government as a member of the Texas House Appropriations Committee, the Legislative Budget Board and as Governor.”
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, ETP said Perry could “receive cash compensation” as well as “equity compensation.” The company declined to disclose how much Perry will be paid for the gig and isn’t required to file disclosures revealing that figure until next year, but in the past the post has come with about $50,000 in annual salary. “You can expect compensation to be along the same lines as what was {last} reported,” an ETP spokesperson wrote in an email to Mother Jones.
Read more: http://grist.org/climate-energy/rick-perry-is-on-the-payroll-of-a-controversial-oil-pipeline-company-in-texas/
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