GOP senator who railed against government waste sought $4.2M for project near his own ranch: report
The project would send more water to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, but ethics experts say it could also raise the value of Marshall’s ranch.
- U.S. Senator Roger Marshall secured a $4.2 million earmark to increase water flow into the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, with the project pumping water through a pipeline into Rattlesnake Creek.
- Controversy surrounds the project because Marshall owns a 20% stake in Rattlesnake Ranch, which borders the creek, prompting ethics experts to cite conflict of interest risks from increased property values.
- Craig Holman, a Public Citizen lobbyist, stated Marshall "should not be involved in any legislative effort that provides a direct or substantial financial benefit to himself." Spokesperson Payton Fuller countered the project would "literally save farms."
- The funding marks a policy reversal for Marshall, who previously railed against earmarks as "full of so much pork" and voted in January to strip such spending from legislation.
- Agricultural expansion and drought conditions have siphoned water from the region for years, creating tension between farmers and the Fish and Wildlife Service over water rights and refuge survival.
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20 Articles
The Toronto Star
Sen. Roger Marshall sought funding to address a water shortage. The project could benefit his ranch
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall wanted to solve a water rights dispute in rural Kansas that pitted farmers against environmentalists and threatened the health of a cherished wildlife refuge.
Sen. Roger Marshall sought funding to address a water shortage. The project could benefit his ranch – WTOP News
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall wanted to solve a water rights dispute in rural Kansas that pitted farmers against environmentalists and threatened the health of a cherished wildlife refuge. The avid outdoorsman requested a $4.2 million earmark, records show, to help finance improvements that would increase the flow of water into the Quivira...
Roger Marshall sought funding for water shortage. The project could benefit his ranch
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall wanted to solve a water rights dispute in rural Kansas that pitted farmers against environmentalists and threatened the health of a cherished wildlife refuge. The avid outdoorsman requested a $4.2 million earmark, records show, to help finance improvements that would…
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