CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Governor Roy Cooper is dismissing an investigation that concluded he improperly used his influence as governor involving approvals for the planned Atlantic Coast Pipeline project.
The investigation started by the Republican-led General Assembly centered around a $57.8 million fund that was to be used to protect the environment and economic development in the areas where the massive pipeline project would run.
The planned pipeline is to run through North Carolina, into Virginia and then on into West Virginia.
Republicans called it a pay-for-permit scheme where companies involved in the pipeline, like Duke Energy, would have to pay into the fund in order to get permits necessary to build.
Political Science Professor, Dr. Michael Bitzer from Catawba College said the problems focused around the fact that the Governor would have sole control over the money in the fund.
“They did raise significant questions about the propriety of asking Duke Energy to fund a fund that the governor would have complete control over,” Bitzer said.
The Governor’s office issued a statement saying the investigative conclusions were “full of inaccuracies and contradictions that clearly ignore inconvenient facts.”
Duke Energy has said the company does not believe that it was a quid pro quo. In other words, the company says the permits were not dependent on putting money into the fund.
Governor Cooper has said the fund was negotiated separately from the permits and there was no linkage between the two.
Said Bitzer, “They did ultimately clear the governor but raised certain questions. I think the Republicans will continue to hammer the governor on this in terms of the fund in particular.”