TX Observer: “Those actions gel with the reports by Commission Shift and Texans for Public Justice, which found that as a commissioner, Wright has supported deregulation policies that would benefit oil waste companies like the one he once owned. The groups also found that Craddick and Christian, the agency’s chair, had similar conflicts of interest, and the commissioners rarely recused themselves from cases with apparent conflicts.
According to the report, Christian has held or sold thousands of dollars worth of stocks in companies with drilling interests in Texas—Royal Dutch Shell, Diamondback Energy, Conoco Phillips—as well as Kinder Morgan, one of the nation’s largest pipeline companies, based in Houston. The report found that while Christian held stock in ConocoPhillips, the company was involved in an eight-year-long water pollution case that came before him at the RRC.
Meanwhile, the report estimates that Craddick’s oil and gas assets are worth between $1.5 million and $1.9 million; she also owns an estimated $1.4 million worth of mineral interests on more than 140 properties. The commissioner has rarely recused herself from cases that present a potential conflict of interest, including one involving a leaking pipeline. Craddick owned at least $17,520 in the unnamed company’s stock, and received $22,500 in campaign contributions from the company. She eventually voted to levy no fines against the company.
A Commission spokesman declined to provide a comment, referring the Observer to staffers for each commissioner. “In accordance with the Texas Ethics Commission, my personal financial statements are fully disclosed to the letter of the law and publicly accessible,” Craddick said in a written statement. Commissioners Wright and Christian did not respond to a request for comment. “