Billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg will begin shelling out millions of dollars to counter the 26 states suing the Obama administration over its climate rules, and Democrats aren’t immune.
Bloomberg advisers said Friday that the $10 million campaign will target state attorneys general who are part of a multi-state suit comprising more than half the nation, including the Missouri attorney general who is running for governor.
States came out in force last month to oppose President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, a far-reaching and unprecedented regulation that seeks to reduce power plant emissions by requiring states to reduce their emissions a third by 2030. The states argue that the climate rule oversteps EPA’s authority under the law and is unconstitutional.
The former New York mayor is funding the ads through his political wing’s Independence USA PAC, targeting the attorney generals of Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Chris Koster of Missouri, Bloomberg advisers told the New York Times.
“The ads will begin running over the coming days, with two of them describing the attorneys general as accepting donations from ‘polluters’ and bowing to special interests,” according to the newspaper. “The ad targeting Mr. Koster portrays him as an opponent of President Obama’s environmental agenda, and as someone who is not doing the right thing by Missouri’s families.” Koster is the lone Democrat in the group of Bloomberg targets. Similar claims will made against attorneys general Bill Schuete of Michigan, Pam Bondi of Florida and Brad Schimel of Wisconsin.
Bloomberg told the newspaper that the “four attorneys general are trying to stop the president from doing something that I think is terribly important.”
“I want the public to know what they’re doing. It’s very bad for everybody.”
Andrew Whalen, a spokesman for Koster’s campaign, said the attorney general “works for the people of Missouri, not a New York City billionaire.” Whalen said Koster believes the Clean Power Plan will raise prices for consumers, which Bloomberg is not aware of because of his wealth.
“While a double-digit electric bill jump might not affect someone with Michael Bloomberg’s bank account, it would devastate seniors on fixed incomes, working families and small businesses across the state.”
