RALEIGH, N.C. – State lawmakers are holding a hearing Monday concerning potential pay-to-pay activities regarding the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

  • Republican lawmakers are investigating the Cooper administration's conection to Atlantic Coast Pipeline sponsors. 
  • They say pipeline sponsors agreed to pay $57.8 million into a slush fund under Gov. Cooper’s personal control.
  • Lawmakers are seeking investigatory help from an outside source. 

A subcommittee will hear from an investigatory firm that it may hire.

Members voted in November to obtain outside investigative assistance.

The group says Governor Roy Cooper and his administration refused to answer questions or produce records involving a potential pay-to-play scheme.

According to those lawmakers, the Cooper administration approved a critical environmental permit for the multi-billion dollar pipeline.

They say the pipeline sponsors agreed to pay $57.8 million into a slush fund under Gov. Cooper’s personal control, despite the sponsor’s attempts to instead direct the funding to environmental mitigation efforts under the control of the Wildlife Resources Commission.

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