An energy company that got $400 million in government-issued Liberty Bonds last month to build a controversial new power plant in Queens kicked in tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash to Gov. Pataki and the state Republican Party, state Board of Election records show.
SCS Energy, based in Massachusetts, and a group of companies it hired to develop the $1 billion plant in Astoria gave $45,000 to the governor and the party between June and November 2002, the records show.
Thousands in additional funds also went from Astoria Energy, the subsidiary SCS formed in 1998 to build the plant, to a political action committee that represents power producers – and to the governor and party from a well-connected Albany law firm that SCS hired.
Lobbyist Chris McGrath, an SCS consultant, strongly denied that the campaign money had anything to do with the plant moving forward or its securing the Liberty Bonds.
“Politics was not the way this got through – it was putting the shoulder to the grindstone,” said McGrath. “I don’t think I ever got an SCS check to give to a politician.”
McGrath gave $1,500 to Pataki in 2001 through his lobbying firm, New York Capitol Consultants, plus $250 to the state Republican Party in 1999.
“I’ve known George a long time,” said McGrath. “That was a personal contribution and had nothing to do with these guys.”
Asked specifically about the contributions, Pataki spokeswoman Lynn Rasic said, “This project met the requirements of the city-state Liberty Bond program, which is designed to support projects that contribute to the city’s long-term economic health and the rebuilding of lower Manhattan.”
The $45,000 came a year after Astoria Energy won state approval to build its 1,000-megawatt plant and a year before it inked a deal with Con Ed to sell half its proposed power.
The plant’s Con Ed deal and Liberty Bonds have sparked the ire of a group of state Assemblymen, Rep. Carolyn Maloney and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.
Among the SCS contributors were Joseph C. Swift, a founder of the company, who gave $5,000 to Friends of Pataki on Oct. 15, 2002, records show.
SCS gave $10,000 to the state Republicans on Oct. 15, 2002, records show.
The other contributors were TRC Environmental, a California consulting firm hired by SCS that gave Pataki $5,000 on June 2, 2002; and Washington Group International, an engineering firm retained by SCS that donated $5,000 to Pataki in two checks on Oct. 17 and Nov. 1, 2002, and $20,000 to the party on Nov. 2, 2002.
Astoria Energy also made separate contributions to the Independent Power Producers of New York, a political action committee that goes to bat for energy giants.
Astoria gave IPP a total of $6,600.
IPP gave the state Republican Assembly campaign $4,150 and the state Republican Senate campaign $2,850, records show.
SCS also hired Couch White, an Albany law firm that gives heavily to state politicians.
Records show that since 1999, Couch White gave $12,875 to Pataki, $14,405 to the state Senate Republican campaign and $2,766 to the state Republican Party.
McGrath said TRC, Washington Group and IPP work with various providers – including SCS competitors – and that Couch White also gives to Democrats. (p. 17 Sports Edition)