House Republicans who oversee key scientific matters have hired a lobbyist from one of the nation’s leading oil corporations to serve as a key adviser.

The House Science Committee, led by pro-oil Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas), has brought aboard Stephen Sayle, who lobbied for Chevron, as a senior staff member.

During much of 2013, Sayle led the lobbying firm Dow Lohnes Government Strategies (now Cooley LLP), which was on retainer with Chevron for $320,000 a year, according to Republic Report.

In this capacity, Sayle promoted Chevron’s positions on regulations governing clean pollution, ozone emissions and oil and gas development.

Sayle reportedly earned at least half a million dollars serving as a Chevron lobbyist before moving to Capitol Hill.

He joins a committee that has worked to discredit evidence showing global warming has been caused by humans, as well as other scientific work linking air pollution with disease.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Chevron’s Lobbyist Now Runs the Congressional Science Committee (by Lee Fang, Republic Report)

Chevron Gives $2.5 Million to Conservative Group—the Biggest Corporate Super-PAC Donation of the Year (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Oil and Gas Industry Gears Up to Help Friendly Candidates (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)