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Produced by Jen Caltrider, ProgressNowAction
Running time: 1:00
Bob Schaffer Accused of War Profiteering:
Call for "Big Oil Bob" to disclose how much he and his company are making from an oil contract that Schaffer lobbied for in Iraq
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 10, 2008
CONTACT: Michael Huttner at (303) 931-4547 (cell)
Denver: With Vice-President Dick Cheney due to arrive in Colorado tomorrow for a fundraiser for Bob Schaffer, ProgressNowAction launched a multimedia campaign to raise public awareness of Schaffer's personal ties to big oil and war profiteering. The group called on Schaffer to immediately disclose how much he and his oil company are making from an oil contract Schaffer lobbied for in Iraq.
"Big Oil Bob's trip to Iraq to lobby for oil contracts does not pass the smell test," stated Michael Huttner, Executive Director of ProgressNowAction, with over 360,000 members is Colorado's largest online progressive organization. "We call on Schaffer to immediately disclose how much he and his oil company are making an oil contract that he lobbied for in Iraq."
The group unveiled a check for $1,000,000 made out to "Big Oil Bob" Shaffer which represented the approximate amount of money that records show Schaffer made working for his oil company as "Vice President in charge of International Oil Development" immediately after he left Congress. [research and cites below] The group plan to have the check the delivered to Cheney's fundraiser for Schaffer tomorrow in Grand Junction, Colorado.
"'Big Oil Bob' Schaffer appears to have profited from the Iraq War from an oil company that hired him following his vote for the War in Iraq when he was in Congress," noted Huttner.
The group launched a video demonstrating the concerns Colorado consumers at Colorado gas stations upon learning that Schaffer voted for the war in Iraq and how he then helped his oil company lobby for oil contracts in Iraq.
"We are calling on Colorado consumers to go to www.bigoilbob.com and share their views on whether they would support a candidate who voted to go to war in Iraq and then profited from Iraq oil contracts after he left office," added Huttner.
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Timeline on Schaffer & War Profiteering:
2002 Schaffer voted consistently to go to war with Iraq: To justify his consistent votes on Iraq in the fall of 2002, Schaffer went so far as to boldly war as to tell the media "that a lack of support from U.N. won't be an obstacle' to U.S. Military Action." [Denver Post, October 13, 2002]
2003-2007 Schaffer employed as Oil Company Executive: Schaffer appears to have earned over a million dollars from his five years at Aspect Energy. According to this Personal Financial Disclosure, Shaffer earned a salary of $209,853 in 2003 from Aspect Energy. According to his Personal Financial Disclosure, Schaffer earned a salary of $246,666 in 2006 from Aspect Energy. Schaffer has not yet disclosed his salary for 2007. [Schaffer Personal Financial Disclosures]
November, 2006 Schaffer appear to have led his oil company's delegation to lobby Iraq: Schaffer was on a "Business Trip in Iraq" in November 2006 for his oil company. In November 2006 while Senator Allard was contemplating another term, Schaffer was contacted while on a business trip in Iraq. According to the Rocky Mountain News, reported that when "Schaffer [was] contacted via e-mail during a business trip to Iraq" he replied that it was premature to talk about Allard replacements. [Rocky Mountain News, 11/27/2006]
November 2007 Schaffer's oil company appears to have been an awarded Iraqi contract: Less than a year later Schaffer's oil company said that instead of "actively pursuing opportunities in Iraq" changed to note that his company has been awarded a license for a 269 square kilometers" in Northern Iraq by the Kurdistan Regional Government. [www.aspectenergy.com]
At the same time the New York Times reported on "Iraqi Oil Spoils" and specifically that the "quickening pace of oil deals between Kurdish regional leaders and foreign companies is another sign that Iraq is spinning out of control and the Bush administration has no idea how to stop it. [New York Times, October 15, 2007]
For additional facts or research call Michael Huttner at 303-931-4547 (cell) or email him directly at michael@progressnowaction.org.
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