CARUSO ISSUES CHALLENGE TO PRIMARY OPPONENTS: SIGN THE PLEDGE TO FIGHT THE CMP CORRIDOR

Caruso sent a letter to GOP primary candidates Bruce Poliquin and Garret Swazey asking them to sign the following pledge:

PLEDGE TO STOP THE CMP CORRIDOR


I, _______________________ (candidate name), pledge to the people of Maine that, if elected to Congress, I will do everything in my power to support the will of the people.

I pledge to work tirelessly to stop this project through legislative remedies, collaboration with executive branch departments, and by using my prominence as a member of Congress to elevate this issue until the voters’ November 2, 2021 decision is upheld.

Signed,


______________________________
Candidate for Congress, ME-2

Caruso has been an outspoken opponent of the destructive CMP Corridor, and was a founding member of the opposition group that ultimately won a decisive referendum to stop the project. CMP and its allies have vowed to ignore the will of Maine voters, and continue to battle through the court system to move the project forward.

“The people of Maine deserve to know that their next representative to Congress will do everything in their power to protect our home state and to honor the will of Mainers,” continued Caruso.  ‘By signing this pledge, I am making it clear to voters that I am on their side, not on the side of the foreign energy companies who have treated our state with utter contempt.”

Caruso will announce publicly the candidates who join her in signing the pledge one week from today.

Full text of the letter below:


January 18, 2022


Dear Fellow CD2 Congressional Candidate,

I first want to congratulate you on your candidacy, and I thank you for being willing to step up during such a critical time for our district, our state, and our nation. Running for office is a daunting task that requires long hours, time away from the family, and so many other challenges, and we’re fortunate to have a slate of candidates for this Congressional election who have decided to make those sacrifices for the betterment of our country.

Whichever one of us wins this race will be faced with almost limitless challenges. The day-to-day function of government on its own is challenging, but right now we’re living in perilous times that require vision, strength of conviction, and a spine of iron to stand up to the special interests, lobbyists, and political parties that have left our nation riven. These times require leadership, and the people of Maine deserve nothing less than absolute clarity from our elected officials.

Maine has been in the midst of a full-scale assault over the last several years from a reckless multinational energy giant, Iberdrola, acting through its local subsidiary, Central Maine Power. While flaunting its monopoly status by leaving Mainers with ever increasing power bills and worst-in-the-nation customer service, CMP and its Spanish owners have spent tens of millions of dollars to force a destructive corridor through our precious Maine woods. Through a cadre of high-priced lawyers, lobbyists, and DC political attack dogs, they’ve upended our political system, violated our state constitution, and wrenched control of our state government and permitting agencies from the hands of the Maine people.

That all changed on November 2, thanks to the most powerful grassroots uprising in Maine’s recent history. More than 240,000 Mainers stormed their polling places on election day, and, by unprecedented margins, voted to stop Iberdrola and CMP’s green energy scam designed to export billions in profits to foreign stakeholders and governments..

Despite losing the election by wide margins after spending more than any referendum campaign ever has to influence the outcome of the election, CMP, Iberdrola, and their partner Hydro-Quebec have pledged to continue to push this unpopular project, against the clear will of Maine voters. Lawsuits and procedural battles continue, and these big multinational energy giants continue to declare their intention to carry out this project after losing big at the ballot box.

As the Representative to Maine’s 2nd District in the US Congress, one of us will be in the position to bring to bear the power of the federal government to help protect us from this onslaught. One of us will have the platform to speak truth to power, and to make honoring the will of Maine voters one of their first priorities.

This is why I’m asking you, my fellow candidate, to join me in signing the attached pledge to elevate the fight against the CMP Corridor to the federal level if necessary. President Biden’s Energy Secretary Granholm has voiced continued support for this deeply unpopular project, and the federal agencies of oversight have yet to suspend the permits.

The people of Maine deserve to know that each of us will do everything in our power as a United States Congressman to protect our home state and to honor our constituents. By signing this pledge, you will be making it clear to voters in Maine that you are on their side, not on the side of the foreign energy companies who have treated our state with utter contempt.

I will be announcing the candidates who have joined me in signing this pledge in one week. I look forward to your response, and expect that this will be an easy decision for all of us.

I thank you again for your willingness to join this important election, and I wish you the best of luck on the campaign trail.

Sincerely,


Elizabeth Caruso
Candidate for Congress, ME-2