Imani Oakley Calls On Donald Payne Jr. To Take The #Nofossilfuel Money Pledge And Sign On To Green Initiatives

Montclair, NJ — Imani Oakley, pro-democracy activist and candidate for Congress in NJ’s 10th Congressional District, publicly knocked her opponent for continuing to accept large donations from the fossil fuel industry while claiming to be a pro-environment politician.

“Payne Jr. — feeling the pressure from our campaign and the demands of the DSA — has finally cosponsored the GND4PS,” she said. “Meanwhile, he has accepted more than $230,000 in political donations from the very companies destroying our climate. He can’t be allowed to pretend to care about climate legislation while receiving thousands in fossil fuel money.”

Payne Jr. — a five-term incumbent with one of the highest voting absentee rates of any representative — is the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. His campaign disclosures show that he has accepted donations from controversial groups such as the Association of Oil Pipelines PAC, ExxonMobil PAC, Enbridge, Phillips 66, and other major polluters.

The Association of Oil Pipelines (AOPL) — long a defender of toxic pipeline projects — made news two years ago when the Intercept revealed that AOPL succeeded in getting representatives to sneak a provision harshly criminalizing anti-pipeline protests into an industry safety bill. The provision — written by AOPL itself — would have made “interfering with pipeline operations” punishable with up to 20 years in prison.

“Instead of supporting pipeline lobbyists, Payne Jr. should be supporting our communities,” Oakley said. “I’m calling on Payne Jr. to refuse fossil fuel donations and to do his job. He must sign on to the #NoFossilFuelMoney Pledge and the Green New Deal immediately. ”

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Imani Oakley is a long-time political organizer and pro-democracy activist running for Congress in New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District. The seat covers parts of Essex, Union, and Hudson counties. Her time working in New Jersey political spaces has made one thing clear: our state suffers from rabid corruption. Her campaign is dedicated to ending this system and lifting up working-class communities.