Ad online at www.publicampaign.org/bigoil

Washington, DC—A new television ad by campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign, called "Connect the Drops," will begin airing in Colorado today to highlight Rep. Scott Tipton’s (R-Colo) votes to maintain wasteful oil subsidies at the same time he was taking campaign contributions from the oil industry donors.

“Gas prices are soaring and oil companies are raking in record profits, so why does Congress keep voting to give Big Oil handouts at taxpayer expense?” asked David Donnelly, national campaigns director for Public Campaign. “One reason might be all the campaign cash oil industry donors are doling out to Scott Tipton and his colleagues.”

The U.S. House has voted repeatedly in the 112th Congress to maintain wasteful oil subsidies. Pending transportation legislation may include a vote to end or continue the subsidies in the coming weeks. Oil and gas interests have donated $7.8 million to federal elected officials already this election cycle, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). Rep. Tipton received at least $103,000 from oil and gas industry donors in 2011, according to Public Campaign analysis of data from the Federal Election Commission and CRP.

“Hear that? That’s the sound of influence. Big Oil’s campaign cash flowing to politicians. Many say we need spending cuts in Washington but when you connect the drops, you’ll find they vote to give billions of our tax dollars to Big Oil—subsidies Coloradans oppose,” the narrator says. “Take Scott Tipton. His biggest campaign donors? They’re from Big Oil. Now oil subsidies are back on the agenda. How will Tipton vote?”

“Big Oil’s big money is a big problem in Washington,” said Donnelly. “Coloradans and the rest of America want to end these subsidies, and there’s only one rational reason many see for their continuance: campaign contributions.”

The ad is available online at www.publicampaign.org/bigoil.

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Public Campaign is a national nonpartisan organization that fights to raise the voices of everyday people in our democracy through changing our campaign finance laws and through holding elected officials accountable. Learn more at www.publicampaign.org.