Photographer Says He Lost His Job After Leaking Pictures Of Rick Perry And Coal CEO

[Cattledog]

A former Department of Energy photographer has filed a federal whistleblower suit alleging he lost his job after leaking photos of a private meeting between Energy Secretary Rick Perry and a major Trump donor who heads one of the country's largest mining companies.

The photographer, Simon Edelman, took photos of the March 29, 2017 meeting between Perry and Robert "Bob" Murray, the CEO of Ohio-based Murray Energy, who gave $300,000 to the Trump campaign.

The photographs show Perry and Murray embracing and Murray handing Perry a four-page confidential "action plan" for reviving the country's struggling coal industry. The Associated Press and The New York Times obtained copies of the plan earlier this month and reported that it mirrors policy later pushed by the Trump administration.

Also at the meeting were Perry's chief of staff and a coal company lobbyist, Andrew Wheeler, who was later nominated by President Trump to serve as deputy administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/01/18/578791199/photographer-says-he-lost-his-job-after-leaking-pictures-of-rick-perry-and-coal?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180118

[Hoyt]

1. Don't mind the meeting so much, but hugging that guy who was responsible for killing 9 miners is

deplorable. What kind of BS is that? Of course, Perry is as stupid as trump. Like to see that ass take the cognitive assessment.

[czarjak]

2. True love...

[ehrnst]

3. Another closeup of the documents:

[Raven123]

4. I'm not sure how this falls under whistleblower protection

I didn't think it was a secret that potus wanted to increase the use of coal.

[rainin]

11. Campaign funds followed by direct implementation of donor policy. n/t

[Grins]

13. If it was a private meeting, how did the photographer get invited?

Looking at the photo it looks like the meeting was in a government conference room. Coal is not sensitive topic so why the secrecy?

Oh.

[firstwife]

5. The government will pay

for this error in judgment! I’m going to be as discrete as possible here because of my background, but Mr. Edelman stands an excellent chance of an early retirement with the settlement he will receive. Looking forward to reading his complaint before further comment.

[The Blue Flower]

6. Welcome to DU, firstwife

Looking forward to hearing more from you!

[MadDAsHell]

15. Actually you will pay. And me. And everyone else.

That’s how settlements with the “government” work.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Most corrupt administration ever. No department is left out.

[Sunlei]

8. "members of Tennessee Valley Authority must be replaced"

can read the page when enlarged- States and their citizens are major-fucked!! with Republicans in charge. someone else read the rest- regulations gone, no health issues- can't understand why any 'coal miner families' would ever think the Republican party gives a shit about them.

[rainin]

12. Until right wing radio reports it, they are in the dark. n/t

[spanone]

9. Jesus Wept.

[gademocrat7]

10. The depth of corruption in chumps cabal

Runs very deep and wide.

[Botany]

14. Perry loves himself the man who brought on the Big Branch Mine explosion.

scum

[hedda_foil]

16. I dunno. Old Bob Murray sure looks a lot like the former Russian ambassador.

[dalton99a]

17. Kick