Lewandowski pressed Trump on aid to coal industry
The president's former campaign manager supported the arguments of an Ohio electric utility and a major coal mining company, according to records and senior White House officials.
By ERIC WOLFF, JOSH DAWSEY, BEN WHITE and DANIEL LIPPMAN 08/25/2017 08:04 PM EDT
An Ohio electric utility and one of the country's top coal companies had some well-placed help when pressing President Donald Trump for emergency federal assistance for the coal industry — his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
The companies wanted Trump to prevent utilities from closing economically ailing coal-fired power plants, using authorities normally designed to protect the U.S. electricity supply during emergencies. And as they made their case, they got support from the former Trump aide, who has remained in the president's orbit despite being fired from his campaign more than a year ago.
Lewandowski denied in a message Friday that he is working for the companies, utility FirstEnergy and mining corporation Murray Energy. But his involvement in the issue alarmed some senior administration officials and others close to Trump, who saw his role as that of a lobbyist and believed he was being paid for the work.
Lewandowski spoke in support of the utility's agenda at the White House and met with other senior administration officials on the issue this spring and summer, according to senior White House officials and records reviewed by POLITICO. Lewandowski was also integral in setting up meetings between Chuck Jones, the CEO of utility FirstEnergy, with Trump and other White House officials, according to the documents and officials. Lewandowski traveled aboard Air Force One during that period, sources said.
The Energy Department eventually decided that the action the companies sought would be inappropriate. But the companies had nearly succeeded: According to letters from Republican donor and coal magnate Robert Murray, CEO of the mining company Murray Energy, Trump twice said he supported requiring coal power plants run by a subsidiary of FirstEnergy to keep running, even if the subsidiary fell into bankruptcy.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/25/lewandowski-trump-coal-lobbying-242052
