Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani's links to a Texas law firm with connections to the oil industry could be risky, the New York Times reports. Giuliani joined the 400-lawyer firm, which added his name to become Bracewell & Giuliani in Houston two years ago. The report said affiliation likely accounts for the fact Giuliani's campaign has collected $2.2 million in Texas in the first quarter of 2007, more than any other candidate. His campaign raised twice as much in Texas as that of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who had been expected to do well there.
Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters, told the Times Giuliani's association with the law firm could cost him votes.
From clean air to mercury pollution to global warming policies, Giuliani's firm has been perhaps the most anti-environment voice in Washington, representing some of the biggest corporate polluters, Karpinski said.
Publicly however, Giuliani has advocated increased use of nuclear power, natural gas, Alaskan oil drilling and ethanol to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil, the report said.