Campaigning Corporate Style: Chesapeake Provides Voting Shuttle Rides, List Of Endorsed Candidates

Chesapeake Energy, headed by aggressive political player Aubrey McClendon, is providing shuttle rides to polls for its employees and has provided them with a list of candidates endorsed by the company's employee political action committee.

Documents obtained by The McCarville Report Online show the company's effort to encourage employees to vote and highlight the candidates the PAC has endorsed.

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Here's an email sent to employees:

From: info@ChesapeakeFedPac.com
To: All OKC Employees
Subject: Oklahoma Primary Election - Vote Early
Sent: Jul 22, 2010 7:41 AM

July 22, 2010

Oklahoma Primary Election Vote Early
Early voting in Oklahoma's Primary Election will begin Friday, July 23 and will run through Monday, July 26 at your County Election Board. Shuttle service to the Oklahoma County Election Board will be provided on Friday and Monday at the times below. Please note: if you are not registered to vote in Oklahoma County, you cannot vote at the Oklahoma County Election Board. Shuttle services will only be provided for those who vote in Oklahoma County.

In the 2010 primary election, Oklahomans will be voting for candidates for U.S. Senate, four of the five U.S. House seats, the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Corporation Commissioner, as well as for state and local offices. For a list of Chesapeake supported candidates, please see the attached document.

County election boards will be open for early voting at the following times:
Friday, July 23 from 8:00 a.m. ­ 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 24 from 8:00 a.m. ­ 1:00 p.m.
Monday, July 26 from 8:00 a.m. ­ 6:00 p.m.

If you are voting via absentee ballot, your marked ballot must be received by the County Election Board no later than 7:00 p.m. on July 27.

Early Voting Shuttle Schedule
Friday, July 23:
Departing from the Administration Building
9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Departing from Two Grand
1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Monday, July 26:
Departing from the Administration Building
9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Departing from Two Grand
1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

While it is not unusual for a company to make known the candidates its PAC supports, it is not usual to provide a list of endorsed candidates connected to a voter turnout effort; the effort, providing free transportation to employees and at the same time telling them whom the company PAC prefers, might bring into focus the state prohibition against corporate contributions, although an argument for "voter education" could also be made.

Endorsed Candidates:

Governor, Democrat - Drew Edmondson

Governor, Republican - Mary Fallin

Attorney General, Republican - Ryan Leonard

Treasurer, Republican - Ken Miller

School Superintendent, Republican - Janet Barresi

School Superintendent, Democrat - Susan Paddack

Corporation Commissioner, Republican - Dana Murphy (i)

Congress, 1st District - John Sullivan (i)

Congress, 2nd District - Dan Boren (i)

Congress, 3rd District - Frank Lucas (i)

Congress, 4th District - Tom Cole (i)

Congress, 5th District, Republican - Mike Thompson

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