Dunleavy complied with Pebble request to reassure, lobby potential mine investor

This is the second in a series of blog posts examining some of the emails published by CNN as part of its investigation of how Gov. Mike Dunleavy is working behind the scenes with the promoters of the Pebble Mine. The governor insists that he supports the process to permit the mine, but has no opinion on the mine. His communications with the company show that he is an advocate for the project.

On July 30, Gov. Mike Dunleavy sent a letter to the head of Wheaton Precious Metals, encouraging the Canadian company to go ahead with its proposed investment in the Pebble Mine and to not worry too much about a letter sent by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

On Aug. 26, Alaska Public Media reported on Dunleavy’s encouraging words to Wheaton CEO Randy Smallwood. Dunleavy said he wanted a fair permitting process and once Pebble gets its permits, “I am equally committed to removing obstacles that would hinder immediate construction.”

In that Aug. 26 radio report, Matt Shuckerow, then the spokesman for the governor, said he did not know how Dunleavy had learned about the NRDC letter to Wheaton.

“From time to time these things cross the governor’s eyes and desk,” Shuckerow said.

The letter did not come to Dunleavy’s eyes or his desk by accident.

Shuckerow may not have been in the loop, but the governor’s office knew exactly how Dunleavy had learned about the letter. It would have been easy for Shuckerow to find out, had the governor wished to make it known.

But the governor’s office kept the information secret from Alaskans, perhaps because it was the Pebble Mine that instigated the action by Dunleavy.

On July 29, the chief of staff of the Pebble Mine wrote to Dunleavy adviser Brett Huber about this July 24 letter from the NRDC and seven other organizations sent to Wheaton. The NRDC letter outlined what opponents of the project see as the major risks, referring to it as an “international pariah,” and advising the company to beware.

As it had done on previous occasions, Pebble asked Dunleavy for assistance, according to emails obtained by CNN in its investigation of the connections between Pebble and Dunleavy.

The emails, which should be released by the governor’s office and published by Alaska news organizations, clearly justify the CNN statements that Pebble was secretly coaching Dunleavy on dealing with the Trump administration, government agencies and even potential investors.

Some of the emails are readable by taking screen shots of the CNN video. One of those reveals the origins of Dunleavy’s letter to Wheaton.

Shalon Harrington, chief of staff of the Pebble Partnership, wrote of the company’s concern that the NRDC document would scare off Wheaton from investing in Pebble, she told Huber in a July 29 email obtained by CNN.

“I will say that the letter definitely has given Wheaton pause on potentially investing in Alaska and the Pebble project,” she said.

A letter from Dunleavy supporting the Pebble Mine would help the situation and reassure the Wheaton executives, she said.

“Attached you will find a draft letter that we hope you and the governor might consider sending to the CEO of Wheaton. I have also attached the letter that Wheaton received from NRDC and several other anti-development organizations,” she wrote to Huber.

“We truly believe that a letter from the governor will make a huge difference to the Wheaton executive team and their board,” Harrington said.

The governor’s office did as requested the next day, copying the main language in the draft Pebble letter and sending it to Wheaton, without revealing that Pebble had asked Dunleavy to take this step.

Using many of the phrases and sentences supplied by Pebble, Dunleavy said the NRDC had sent a letter “essentially threatening you not to invest in the Pebble project,” but that the state would “stand by those who invest in Alaska” and fight “scurrilous attacks.”

Wheaton did not invest in the mine, CNN reported.

Former Sen. Rick Halford, quoted by Alaska Public Media, summarized the revelations in the CNN report by saying the mine promoters are “using the governor’s office as a pass-through for Pebble propaganda.” Alaskans should be alarmed that the governor is a willing participant.

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