Democrat for NY congressional seat slams fossil fuel use while taking donations from oil, gas cos

A Democrat running for Congress in upstate New York is campaigning on lowering fuel costs for families and businesses by "unleash(ing) American renewable energy," despite his campaign being largely funded by members of the oil and gas industry.

Matt Castelli, a former CIA counterterrorism official from Saratoga, New York, is the Democratic Party's officially endorsed candidate in the late June primary. He is one of two Democrats running for the nomination to unseat 21st Congressional District Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican. 

Last week, Castelli tweeted, "#NY21 families and businesses are hurting from high fuel costs. The only way to break ourselves free from the international price surges of oil and gas is to diversify our energy sources away from dependence on fossil fuels. It's time to unleash American renewable energy."

But according to OpenSecrets.org, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks money in U.S. politics, Castelli has taken more than $25,000 – more than any single donation to his campaign – from several entities that are part of the gas and oil industry. 

US Venture Inc., a fuel distribution company that transports over 2 billion gallons of fuel annually by way of pipeline, rail, trucks and oil-barges, donated a combined $20,300 to Castelli, in addition to $5,800 from US Oil Co. 

The Castelli campaign had yet to respond by publishing time Monday to a request for comment from Just the News.

According to the Post Star, Castelli raised $260,845 during the first quarter of the year and had $413,662 cash on hand as of late March. Stefanik, considered one of the most powerful Republican fundraisers in Congress, had $2.84 million cash on hand in late March and raised over $900,000 during the first quarter.