Accusations Against PSC Members

Jessica Roose | 8/8/2012

Accusations that members of the Public Service Commission accepted illegal campaign contributions have been circulating for over a year. In May, members of the Sierra Club and Dakota Resource Council filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior, asking that the federal government take over the state`s coal mining reclamation program, which is normally overseen by the PSC.

They claim the state does not comply with federal law.

Now those same people say the PSC has intervened in the case.

"They have the right to intervene but it just seems like it gets a little cloudy when they are using taxpayers money to defend Cramer and Kalk," said Wayde Schafer with the Sierra Club.

Commissioner Kevin Cramer says the lawsuit isn`t about him or Brian Kalk and that taxpayer money is being used because it is in the state`s best interest to step in and try and keep the federal government from taking the program over.

He says it`s nothing more than a politically motivated attack.

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