Congressman Ed Markey has launched an investigation into a forged letter from a now-former temporary staffer at Bonner & Associates, a grassroots lobbying shop, that urged a revamp of the recently passed global warming bill.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) |
The missive used the letterhead of Creciendo Juntos, a Virginia-based Latino social service group, and urged Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) to push for changes in the bill to cap greenhouse gas emissions.
The letter rapped the existing legislation as anti-consumer because it is going boost electricity bills.
Jack Bonner told the Washington Post the forgery is contrary to his firm's policies. He noted that B&A uncovered the forgery via internal checks and then fired the author. CJ was also notified of the letter.
Perriello wound up voting for the global warming measure.
In a statement, Markey said: "This fraud on Congress shows that some opponents of clean energy have resorted to forgery and theft to block progress." He urged all Members of Congress to "be on the lookout for other suspicious and illegal materials."
Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which is investigating the matter.
Bonner maintains that his firm does not have any clients on the climate change issue. |