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Do State House relationships affect public policy?
By Paul Bean
Does a private romance ever become the public’s business? Maybe, when the pair concerned are a chairman of a Senate committee and a lobbyist whose firm represents many clients seeking to influence the outcome of legislation.
A Facebook post by statehouse activist James Ehlers earlier this week congratulates Senator Chris Bray (D-Addison), chairman of the VT Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, and Maggie Lenz a lobbyist and vice-president of Leonine Public Affairs, for “finding love in the committee room” this past session. This screen shot of the photo on Lenz’s Facebook page is attached:
It’s not seen here, but on the original post friends commented, congratulating the couple on their relationship. Also, a Statehouse insider has seen them numerous times “out on the town” in Montpelier. The post is not visible now on a public Facebook page published by Lenz.
What’s the harm, right? Two adults who know each other at work, apparently finding a deeper relationship? Bray and Lenz are both pleasant people with obvious shared values on politics and policy, at least. And the rules of the Senate don’t penalize legislator/lobbyist social fraternizing. Neither are Bray and Lenz the first people working under the Golden Dome to socialize outside of it.
But as suggested by Ehlers, the potential for conflict of interest exists.
“Congratulations to the chairman of the VT Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee and the Vermont Gas Systems/Green Mountain Power lobbyist on finding love in the committee room this past session,” said James Elhers on his Facebook post that included the photo of Bray and Lenz. “Not so, though, for ratepayers and our ecosystems.”
Ehlers is a water quality activist, former candidate for Governor, and an associate with Vermonters for a Clean Environment. He is an outspoken critic of the grip the renewable power industry has on environmental policy-making in Montpelier.
In the Facebook post, Elhers appeared to be referring to the fact that Vermont Gas Systems, Green Mountain Power, and Avangrid Renewables (three organizations Leonine represents) have significant stake in the decisions made by the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, which Bray chairs.
Maggie Lenz official title is Vice President of Public Relations and Strategic Communications for Leonine Public Affairs. Leonine is a top-tier State House contract lobbying firm. She is a frequent presence in the Vermont State House. Lenz’s bio on Leonine Public affairs websites says:
“She came to Leonine after working both as an organizer and as the Finance Director for the Vermont Democratic Party, and served for a time as the Chair of the Washington County Democratic Committee. She has a demonstrated history of creating and implementing strategic communications campaigns that achieve results. She has close ties to members of the media and Vermont elected leaders and influencers, and is well equipped to leverage successful lobbying and grassroots organizing efforts. She has strong connections all over Vermont and a passion for working on local issues.”
Bray sponsored S.5, The Affordable Heat Act, “An act relating to affordably meeting the mandated greenhouse gas reductions for the thermal sector through efficiency, weatherization measures, electrification, and decarbonization.” He also supported the Renewable Energy Standards bill that provides more leeway for renewable power companies to build generating facilities in Vermont.
A client of Leonine, Paul Copleman, Avangrid Renewables Communications Manager, writes as a testimony on their website, “The team at Leonine Public Affairs quickly and effortlessly became an extension of our staff. They are smart, tireless, and well-respected voices in Vermont…Their comprehensive PR, Advocacy, and organizing efforts covered a range of strategic and tactical areas for us, and we always felt their guidance was incisive, and most importantly, grounded in what made sense for Vermont communities.”
Copeland’s company, Avangrid Renewables, has built renewable energy projects all over the country, including the 30 megawatt Deerfield wind-farm in southern Vermont. This is but one of the projects Avangrid Renewables is involved in. Iberdrola, the international parent company of Avangrid, has stakes in Africa, South America, Europe, the United States, and Australia.
Requests for comment were emailed to Bray and Leonine Public Affairs. Neither have responded.
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Categories: News Analysis
It’s always been my position that the only lobbists that should be allowed in the Vermont Statehouse are the voting citizens of the SOV. Paid lobbyists should be kept out just as surely as any other vermin that try to nest in, and deficate in that building .
https://calebelder.com/ is the guy we need to beat Sen. Bray. Let’s end Sen. Bray’s tenure as a Vermont Senator and send them back to being a carpenter full time.
Caleb Elder is one of my representatives, and I fully expect he will continue to vote the party line. Elder, like most other Democrats, will most likely continue to push their agenda at the expense of the economic and social well-being of Vermonters. He will not be a refreshing replacement for Chris Bray.
Why am I not surprised? Ethics? Conflict of interest? Those concepts haven’t applied under the dome since the naked bear chaser was in power. Wasn’t he the poster boy for questionable behavior? And I agree….no lobbyists should be allowed access to lawmakers. But that, like term limits will never happen. Just my opinion.
It’s Fani Willis all over again !
Sounds like price fixing to make more money from their customers
Any representative with an ounce of integrity and ethics would recuse himself from the committee(s) where conflict exists. Don’t hold your breath with Progressive representatives who are consumed with power and the means to dictate the lives of their unfortunate servile and unimportant citizens who live in Vermont. When will the voting citizens of Vermont decide they’ve had enough of these self important ruling elitists? I’m afraid we haven’t seen the bottom yet…
I’ve been of the opinion that Bray lacked any integrity regarding his work and votes on the heat and climate bills, and this relationship serves as confirmation that my opinion is indeed fact, and he is nothing more than an industry tool.
I’m so shocked, not really. I’m aware of who this Maggie person is. Isn’t it grand that all these progs are connected to each other?
Take the case of Rep. Casey Connor who is the director of GunSense VT. He is also basically a lobbyist for gun control and a voting member in the house. I bet we could rattle out a few more. I believe it was Rep. Patty McCoy (R) who had a relationship with a former Senator from the other party who created a state job as senator and then got the high paying job himself.
When do the people get their lobbyist? Again, it’s apparent that it’s a large money-making club under the Golden Doom and none of us poor serfs are members, but we sure do pay are dues.
Wrong Pattie. Be careful of such false accusations/figure out the right name
VIP 1…..you got the wrong Patty; it was Patty Komline, not Patty McCoy.
Sorry, my bad if I was incorrect, It was a few yrars ago. I apologize to Patty McCoy if I was wrong.
Further research proved that you were correct, it was not Patty McCoy. I will have to do better research before mentioning public names on this site. Thank you for correcting me on this and also to James.
And still, not a soul from our illustrious legislators, or their Administrative State appointees, caring to refute, explain away, justify, or even admit to any of the anecdotal and systemically obvious cases made here on VDC condemning various conflicts of interest, economic philandering, and philosophical malfeasance. This is the litmus test for a responsive and transparent government. Until our elected and appointed officials, other than the disenfranchised few, like former Clean Environment Regulatory Affairs Director, John Brabant, come forward, we have no reason but to assume the worst of our elected official’s behavior.
As Mr. Brabant so eloquently put it: “That’s the way government works’.
Jay, I was trying to relocate your comment about how corrupting influences, such as this, are among if not the worst in the nation. VDC doesn’t have a way of searching the comment sections. When did you post it. It is worth revisiting. Thanks for staying on top of such developments. There was something the Ethan Allen Institute did a couple of years ago on this. If anyone knows how to relocate it, it would be germane, too.
Hhilltop: The last comment I made referencing the EAI was in response to Rope Roper’s article, ‘How does NH spend half the money for better results’ (June 5, 2024), in which Rob recommended ‘calling out’ those responsible for our governmental corruption. I wrote:
“Rob, your former colleague, John McClaughry (EAI VP), did so in his 2021 commentary, A Capitalist Success Story, about Board President, Duane Peterson, and Clean Energy Program Director, James Moore , at the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) when, back in 2009, VPIRG raised $20 million and devoted about half of that to persuading politicians and legislators to rig a bunch of special deals to create a lucrative market for start-up solar companies.”
Rob has penned other articles as well.
The Corrupt Political Process in Vermont Exposed August 27, 2019
With regard to Vermont’s conflict of interest being ‘among worst in the nation’ – Vermont is ranked 37th by The Center for Public Integrity.
On the other hand, I have recently pointed out that the Vermont Agency of Education does provide a conflict-of-interest waiver to elected school board members who might otherwise be restricted from running for the school board.
Of course, you can read for yourself Vermont’s ‘General Provisions 3 V.S.A. § 1203. Conflict of interest; appearance of conflict of interest’ and make your own judgment. IMHO, Vermont’s Conflict of Interest statutes are ‘as useless as a screen door on a submarine’.
Thank you for the refresher courses.
thirty vermont senators/// six down, twenty four more to go/////
Ok the thought of that makes me want to vomit 🤮
Simply follow Peter Welch and his passage throughout his serendipitous terms in state politics leading up to his marriage to Margaret Cheney and her merry committee assignments as vice chair of Natural Resources and Energy. How does someone with a BA from Harvard go from working as a Spanish teacher for Sharon Academy, a Television Host for CATV, a member of the School Administrative Unit 70 School Board, a member of the Norwich School Board and Chair of the Dresden School Board and end up in a chair on the Vermont Public Utility Commission making $167,440 a year? How smart could she and Pete be getting caught doing insider trading. (without consequence)
Not too complicated figuring out where to place the enema hose.
Intimate pillow talk about climate change…how romantic! When national media folks are married to DC movers and shakers, this tryst is standard operating procedure. When people say “they’re all connected”, it means they are in-laws, friends with benefits, spouses, partners, sisters/brothers, cousins, co-conspirators, and coat-tail riders. Hooking up under the Golden Thunder Dome is how they advance their agendas, stroke their egos, and satisfy their libidos – all at our expense.
What a clear cut example of why lobbies and lobbyism should be outlawed completely.
I bet the mayor of Burlington is happy this story came out, had to have uttered “That’s way worse than what I’ve been up to.”
Well, “Politics makes strange bed fellows.” (Thank you Charles Dudley Warner. )
Unfortunately, it’s the citizens of Vermont who are getting screwed on a regular basis by the political grifters like these two. We have these low life grifters at the local level, the state level, and the national level. It’s not difficult to figure out who they are…
She appears significantly younger than he. Was their affair arranged? Maybe, maybe not.
Obvious;y she’s been around a while and knows ho the game is played to promote her standing (or laying). Find a weak brained politician and the world is hers.This politician didn’t have the brains to know reality of devious opposite sex. What good is he to the people of VT? Reminds me of the House of Representatives in DC episode with Chairman Wilber Mills and Fanny Fox. JFK had his moments also. Congratulations, Chris Bray (D-Addison), you know how to serve your district.
I usually hate what-aboutism, but, what about Clarence Thomas’ relationship with his wife, Ginny, the Insurrection activist/operative with an inside track to the top? Does anyone here see a conflict of interest in that relationship? Thomas should recuse himself from the J6 case, right?
What’s the relevance? Ginny didn’t get Clarence on the SCOTUS the major Dem individuals did including Leaky Leahy. The Dems try to have all Conservative SCOTUS recuse themselves or expand membership so there won’t be three branches of Government and no equality in Government, power to one group. Burn the Constitution. You won’t be better off. This issue has been put to bed by Justice Roberts.