Whatley was a big oil lobbyist who spent his time representing big oil across the country. Whatley led an special interest funded organization that launched several astroturfing campaigns and used deceitful tactics to trick people into supporting the organization’s pro-big money causes.
Despite running for Senate in North Carolina, Whatley’s LinkedIn still listed D.C. as his location of employment and held his Senate kickoff in Washington D.C. Whatley was handpicked by DC politicians.
Whatley Was Encouraged To Run By Senate Majority Leader Thune. According to Axios, “ When it became clear Lara Trump would not run, Thune turned his attention to wooing Whatley, who was North Carolina GOP chair before Trump handpicked him to be the Republican National Committee chair last year. Thune called Whatley last week and encouraged him to run.” [Axios, 7/25/25]
Whatley Was Hosting His “Campaign Kickoff Reception” In Washington DC. According to the National Review, “Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley’s 2026 Senate campaign will host a ‘campaign kickoff reception’ in Washington, D.C., on Friday, September 12, according to an event invitation reviewed by National Review.” [National Review, 8/6/25]
Whatley Stilled Listed His Location Of Employment As “Washington, District Of Columbia Area.” According to Wilson Times, “In fact, of Cooper and Whatley, Whatley has the more elitist resume. His LinkedIn page still lists his location of employment as the ‘Washington, District of Columbia area.’ Even Thom Tillis managed to lie about where he lived. Tillis, an IBM executive earning $500,000 a year, resides in Cornelius. Cornelius has a median income of over $100,000 and is 91% white. Thus, our senior senator found it necessary to claim he lived in Huntersville. Whatley, the real North Carolinian, has failed to update his tony professional hometown.” [Wilson Times, 10/28/25]
Lobbying On Behalf Of Oil And Gas Giants Was Described As Being Whatley’s Calling. According to the Associated Press, “Lobbying on behalf of oil and gas giants soon became his calling, however.” [Associated Press, 2/13/24]
Whatley Was Described As An Oil And Gas Lobbyist. According to E&E News, “The Republican Party has picked Michael Whatley, a former oil and natural gas lobbyist, to be its new chair ahead of November’s presidential election.” [E&E News, 3/8/24]
Whatley Firm Established The Consumer Energy Alliance Which Was Supported By The World’s Largest Oil Companies. According to the Associated Press, “To advance their aims, Whatley’s firm also established the Consumer Energy Alliance, a nonprofit organization that presented itself as nonpartisan. In reality, the group was supported by some of the world’s biggest oil companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil and British Petroleum, as well as major industrial energy users.” [Associated Press, 2/13/24]
Despite The Group Claiming To Advocate For “Affordable, Reliable, And Cleaner Energy Solutions,” It Spent It’s Work Focused On Opposing Climate Regulations And Expanding Access To Fossil Fuels. According to Mother Jones, “Although the group claims to advocate for ‘affordable, reliable, and cleaner energy solutions,’ much of its work has focused on opposing climate regulations and expanding access to fossil fuels.” [Mother Jones, 8/1/25]
The Group Was Accused Of Using Deceitful Tactics To Generate Support For Their Efforts. According to the Associated Press, “The group has been accused of using deceitful tactics to generate support for their efforts, including allegations that they gathered petition signatures under misleading pretenses for local initiatives in Ohio, Wisconsin and South Carolina.” [Associated Press, 2/13/24]
Consumer Energy Alliance Sent The Wisconsin Public Service Commission A Petition With 2,500 Electric Customers And Claimed That The Consumers “Believe Changing The Current Rule Would Ensure That All Ratepayers Are Treated Fairly And Electricity Bills Remained Affordable.” According to the Capital Times, “The Houston-based Consumer Energy Alliance on Oct. 7 sent the state Public Service Commission a petition with names of 2,500 electric customers statewide, claiming those consumers ‘believe changing the current rule will ensure that all ratepayers are treated fairly and electricity bills remain affordable.’” [Capital Times, 10/22/14]
Frawley Who Was Listed On The Petition Claimed That She Opposed The MGE Plan. According to the Capital Times, “For example, Mary Frawley, who lives on Madison's near west side, is listed on the petition as supporting the changes. But she told The Capital Times she strongly opposes the MGE plan, which would hike her monthly service fees from $10 to $19 starting next year.” [Capital Times, 10/22/14]
Frutiger Claimed That He Doesn’t Remember Speaking To Anyone From CEA And That He Opposed The Rate Changes Despite Being Listed On The Petition. According to Capital Times, “Tom Frutiger of Madison is listed on the petition and claims he doesn't remember even speaking with anyone from CEA, although he admits his memory has been failing him since suffering a stroke. Asked if he supports the MGE changes, Frutiger said, ‘Hell no.’ ‘What I'd like to see is less fossil (fuel) burning,’ he said. ‘They should put some fans in the middle of the lake and generate electricity that way.’” [Capital Times, 10/22/14]
Consumer Energy Alliance Filed The Same List Of Names To The Public Service Commission In The We Energies Rate Case. According to the Capital Times, “The Consumer Energy Alliance filed the same list of 2,500 names to the PSC in the We Energies rate case. The Milwaukee area utility is also proposing to raise its monthly fixed charges for residential customers ? a move clean energy advocates say removes the incentives to use less electricity, much of it generated in Wisconsin by burning coal or natural gas.” [Capital Times, 10/22/14]
Consumer Energy Alliance Sent Fraudulent Letters, Including One That Was Addressed From A Dead Man, To The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission In Support Of A Natural Gas Pipeline. According to Mother Jones, “In 2016, the Toledo Blade reported that Consumer Energy Alliance may have sent the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hundreds of allegedly fraudulent letters in support of a proposed natural gas pipeline to be built between Ohio and Michigan. Some of the letters appeared to come from Ohio residents—but were, according to the Blade, submitted without the senders’ knowledge, including one letter supposedly from an Ohio man who had died in 1998.” [Mother Jones, 8/1/25]