Letter to Scott Perry, Secretary of Energy - Duckworth Investigates Potential Pay-to-Play Allegations Involving Michael Cohen, Trump Donor & Department of Energy

Letter

Dear Secretary Perry:

On August 2, 2018, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article that described how a major donor to the Trump inaugural fund, Franklin L. Haney, hired President Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, in an effort to secure $5 billion in Federal funding for a nuclear power plant project that Mr. Haney's company had a financial interest in. Specifically, Mr. Haney donated $1 million to President Trump's inaugural fund and agreed to pay Mr. Cohen $10 million if he successfully used his influence to secure taxpayer funds for his plant site.

This unseemly pay-to-play arrangement raises serious questions of conflict-of-interest, corrupt practices and potential violations of lobbying disclosure laws. For example, the WSJ article notes that Mr. Cohen lobbied several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) officials to support his client's loan application and speed up the review process, even though public records indicate Mr. Cohen has never registered as a lobbyist. To better understand how DOE is evaluating Mr. Haney's loan application, including potential improper efforts to influence the decision by Mr. Cohen, please provide the following documents:

A list of every DOE appointee, career official and contractor that had direct or indirect contact with either Mr. Cohen or Mr. Haney, or representatives of either individual, in regard to the loan application or project; and

All DOE memorandums, meeting notes, emails and any other record related to Mr. Haney's loan application or project, and communications with Mr. Cohen.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to receiving your prompt and thorough response.

Sincerely,

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