FACT CHECK: Kelly Ayotte Launches Desperate Attack Ad to Try to Cover Up Record of Putting Koch Brothers & Big Oil Before New Hampshire's Environment

Press Release

Today, Kelly Ayotte's campaign launched a desperate attack ad to attempt to cover up her record of putting the Koch Brothers and Big Oil before New Hampshire's natural resources. Ayotte has taken nearly half a million dollars in contributions from Big Oil interests like the Koch Brothers and the Kochs' network has spent millions of dollars supporting Ayotte -- and then Ayotte has supported their agenda in Washington, including protecting tax breaks for big oil companies and voting to undermine critical environmental protections. Ayotte has put the priorities of these special interest backers before New Hampshire's beautiful natural resources, specifically, voting with the Koch Brothers nearly 90% of the time in her first four years in Washington, including voting to block the Environmental Protection Agency from ever having the ability to reduce greenhouse gases. In voting to force construction of the Keystone Pipeline, Ayotte voted to bypass the same federal review process that Northern Pass is subject to. Ayotte was also the only New England Senator to vote against critical clean water protections, and has previously said she doesn't believe evidence of climate change is "conclusive." Ayotte's lifetime record on the environment is even worse than Scott Brown's.

Governor Hassan has always stood up for New Hampshire's environment. She has pushed Northern Pass officials to listen to the concerns of Granite State communities, signed bipartisan legislation strengthening the review process to ensure local communities' voices are heard, and has called for the company to bury more lines and ensure that New Hampshire ratepayers would actually see a benefit from the potential project. Due to the Governor's bipartisan leadership to combat climate change and protect New Hampshire's environment, the Governor earned the endorsement of the Sierra Club -- the nation's largest grassroots conservation organization.

"Governor Maggie Hassan has a long record of standing up for New Hampshire's natural resources as proven by the support from Sierra Club and environmental leaders across the state, while Kelly Ayotte puts the interests of the Koch Brothers and Big Oil who pour millions into boosting her campaigns before New Hampshire's natural resources," said Maggie for NH Press Secretary Meira Bernstein. "But Ayotte knows that her record in Washington won't fly with New Hampshire voters, which is why she's launching desperate attacks to try to distort her record. Granite Staters know better, and they won't be fooled by Ayotte's misleading attacks."

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