Congressional candidate Betsy Markey, a Democrat challenging incumbent Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, made a substantial contribution to her own campaign last year, despite declaring two weeks before not to spend any of her own money. A newly available federal disclosure document suggests that the funds could have come from the sale of oil and gas stock.
In her official statement of candidacy, Markey, a former staffer to Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo, stated that she did not intend to expend any personal funds in either the primary or general election. The statement was completed and signed by Markey on June 12, 2007.
However, according to the online database of campaign finances maintained by the Federal Elections Commission, Markey loaned her campaign $25,000 less than two weeks later on June 29, 2007.
During this time in the campaign, Markey was fighting a contentious primary with former state Rep. Angie Paccione, who consistently out-fundraised her primary opponent. Paccione has name recognition in the Colorado’s fourth Congressional district, where in 2006 she came within 3 percentage points of unseating Musgrave.
Paccione dropped out of the race in September 2007, citing new job opportunities as her reason.
In a personal financial disclosure recently filed with the Clerk of the House of U.S. Representatives, Markey acknowledges the sale of upwards of tens of thousands of dollars from the sale of stock held in various energy companies. The sales occurred between January of 2007 and May of 2008.
According to the document, Markey unloaded holdings in two gas companies, AmeriGas, the largest U.S. propane company, and in Ferrellgas, the U.S.'s second largest propane distributor.
Markey also got rid more substantial funds in two huge energy companies, including Duke Energy, the North Carolina producer that services 4 million through coal, oil, gas, and nuclear sources, and Spectra Energy, a Texas-based natural gas company.
Spectra has recently been plagued by accusations that it is the number one private-sector producer of greenhouse gases in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
On Markey's Web site, issues the candidate expresses concern about the impact of traditional energy production. "We must prioritize and support programs to substantially reduce the carbon emissions that cause global warming. Much of the carbon emissions are caused by old-style power production and our wasteful consumption habits. . . Each one of us can make a huge impact on our environment by being informed consumers and changing our own consumption habits," the site reads.
Calls to Markey's communications director, Ben Marter, were not returned as of press time.