Busted: GOP lawmaker pushed millions for pipeline to benefit companies that donated to her

Matthew Chapman
July 11, 2024 

Photo via VA State Senate webpage

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) pushed for millions of dollars in earmarks that would benefit a pair of companies that donated thousands of dollars to her election campaign, reported Politico on Thursday.

Kiggans, a former Virginia state senator, was one of the Republicans who was first elected in 2022, unseating Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria.

According to the report, satellite company Rocket Lab's political PAC contributed a total of $3,500 to Kiggans over the last two years, and Tyson Foods, the agribusiness giant, gave her $1,000 last year. According to the report, both stand to benefit from a Kiggans-backed proposal for $7.4 million in appropriations to extend a natural gas pipeline in Maryland to Eastern Virginia; Rocket Lab considered the pipeline last year for fuel, while Tyson Foods was a "potential anchor customer" for the extension.

Asked for comment, Rocket Lab said that the pipeline extension was not one of the things they lobbied for from the House Appropriations Committee.

Earmarks were absent from legislation for most of the 2010s, following House Republicans' move to abolish them. They were ultimately restored, because they are a tangible way for a member of Congress to ask for funding that directly benefits their constituents for a specific project. However, they have sometimes faced criticism for creating the appearance of quid pro quo arrangements, where lawmakers can directly reward their supporters and benefactors with federal funding for projects that benefit them.

Kiggans, during her original campaign for office, caught mockery for ripping off her own opponent's op-ed in a fundraising email.