September 28, 2013 – TriCities.com – Emails show AG staffer continued advising energy companies after office learned of communications

Emails show AG staffer continued advising energy companies after office learned of communications

Posted: Saturday, September 28, 2013 10:14 pm | Updated: 10:19 pm, Sat Sep 28, 2013

BY MICHAEL L. OWENS | BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

A state Attorney General’s Office staffer continued to advise energy companies how to fight landowners suing over natural gas royalties for months after the state’s top law office learned of the communications, a Bristol Herald Courier review of the emails shows.

Whether the communications continued with AG Ken Cuccinelli’s knowledge remains a mystery because his office refuses to say when he personally learned of the emails or when he officially shut down the staffer’s contact with the corporate attorneys.