While Knoxville, Tennessee had the highest-in-the-nation gas prices in the wake of Hurricane Ike in the Gulf Coast, Democrats today called on Republican Speaker Ron Ramsey and scores of Republican PAC’s and candidates who have received in excess of $40,000 from Pilot Oil Corp. executives, a company being investigated in Florida for price gouging, to return the tainted funds.

“Tennessee consumers and voters share a similar quality:  Neither want to be held over a barrel while oil and gas companies artificially inflate their prices,” Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman Wade Munday said.

Pilot Oil Corp. was founded by members of the Haslam family and opened its first Travel Center in 1988. 

“Because of the subpoenas issued by Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum investigating Pilot Oil Corp., and because of Pilot Travel Center charging $4.99 per gallon of gasoline, nearly forty cents more than the national average last Friday, Speaker Ron Ramsey should give back the money that was taken from Knoxville commuters.

“Otherwise, Ramsey and company are just filling up on our dime,” Munday concluded.

Republican candidates and committees who have received contributions from Pilot Oil executives:

RAAMPAC 

$10,000  06/20/2008   

 

TENNESSEE LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE  

$10,000  07/22/2008

 

DIANE BLACK  

$2,000  06/26/2008

 

KEN YAGER  

$9,500  01/16/2008 thru 07/11/2008

 

ALBERT MCCALL II  

$2,000  05/15/2008

 

MIKE FAULK  

$6,000  06/27/2008 thru 06/30/2008