CA State Senator ("D") Quits - Was Environment Chair, Now State Gov. Relations Manager For Chevron

[hatrack]

A California senator's decision to quit and jump to Chevron Corp. has sparked questions about whether he should have negotiated for that job while in a position to help the company politically.

Former Sen. Michael Rubio (D) resigned Friday to work as manager of California governmental affairs for Chevron (E&ENews PM, Feb. 22). He had been chairman of the state Senate's Environmental Quality Committee when he accepted the oil company position.

"There are potential conflicts of interests in his actions as a senator and chair of the Environmental Quality Committee while he was also being recruited for this job in the corporate world," said Phillip Ung, spokesman for California Common Cause, a watchdog group. "When did these job negotiations [with Chevron] begin, and did he recuse himself from decisions that involved issues that may have affected his potential employer?" Ung added.

Rubio and his spokesman didn't respond to several requests for an interview about the job timing and any conflict. Bay Area News Group reporter Steve Harmon wrote Friday on Twitter, "Rubio: contacted Chevron over the holidays, & once a 'contingent' offer was on the table, decided to resign b4 cmte hearings began to avoid ... appearance of conflct."

EDIT

http://www.eenews.net/public/Greenwire/2013/02/25/1

[Demeter]

1. I see an R in his future

with a distinct flavor of Lipton's...

[pscot]

2. I'm glad he's gone

[limpyhobbler]

3. Typical. Obama will probably appoint him as the next Secretary of Energy. nt

[poopfuel]

4. He heard the big bucks calling and he answered! n/t

[Nihil]

5. The letter after his name really doesn't matter.

> He had been chairman of the state Senate's Environmental Quality Committee
> when he accepted the oil company position.

The behaviour is exactly the same regardless of which wing of the corporate party
allegedly claims his loyalty.