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US President Donald Trump is considering a top oil and gas lobbyist for a position on the White House National Economic Council despite promising to limit the number of lobbyists in his administration, according to multiple reports.
US President Donald Trump is considering a top oil and gas lobbyist for a position on the White House National Economic Council despite promising to limit the number of lobbyists in his administration, according to multiple reports.
If appointed, Mike Catanzaro would hold "one of the most influential energy positions in the Trump administration", according to a report from E&E News, which cited anonymous sources.
Another report from the Wall Street Journal said the appointment would mark the "first formal" position in the White House on energy issues.
Catanzaro joined lobbying firm CCGN Group in 2014, and his clients have included Devon Energy America's Natural Gas Alliance, Noble Energy and Hess, Politico and E&E News reported.
Current CCGN Group clients include Encana, according to the firm’s website.
Prior to his work at CCGN, Catanzaro advised leading Republican lawmakers on energy policy, including former Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner. He also served in George W. Bush’s Environmental Protection Agency and on his White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Catanzaro also served a short stint on Trump’s transition team, but left after the transition required lobbyists on the team drop their clients.