The Morning Call: GOP attacks Katie McGinty on donors tied to energy, utility firms

What counts as a donation from “the oil and gas industry”?

At a U.S. Senate candidate forum in Pittsburgh on Sunday, the moderators asked the three Democratic candidates on stage if they had received contributions from the National Rifle Association, a political action committee that opposes abortion rights, or the oil and gas industry.

All three – retired Navy admiral Joe Sestak, Braddock Mayor John Fetterman and former state environmental protection secretary Katie McGinty — all replied that they had not.

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The American Rising PAC listed a donation from a vice president at the American Gas Association, as well as others from power-generating companies like NRG and Iberdrola, where McGinty had served on the board of directors, and Exelon Corporation. Most of the firms focused on the utility side of the energy coin, as opposed to drilling firms that have become more active in Pennsylvania since the shale gas boom began.

Another contribution came from the chairman of Holly Energy Partners, which operates a system of petroleum product and crude gathering pipelines in several western states.

This article was excerpted from The Morning Call. Click here to read the full article online.