(DailyChive.com) – Vice President Kamala Harris is under scrutiny for hiring a campaign adviser linked to a group that has pushed to ban gas stoves. Her new adviser, Camila Thorndike, previously worked for Rewiring America, an environmental group that advocates for electrifying homes to fight climate change. This group became well-known in 2022 for its efforts to phase out gas stoves, sparking debate over how much control the government should have over household choices.
O.H. Skinner, head of the nonprofit Alliance for Consumers, criticized Harris’s move, calling it “another step” in what he views as a trend by Democrats to limit consumer choice. Skinner pointed to recent regulations affecting home appliances, like dishwashers and washing machines, and the push for electric vehicles. According to him, the policies supported by the Biden-Harris administration have made life more expensive for consumers, forcing them to buy costly appliances that, in his view, don’t perform as well.
Energy policy is especially important in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state in the upcoming election. Harris’s team has promised not to ban fracking and says they aim to lower energy costs by encouraging cleaner energy solutions. Yet her association with Thorndike and groups like Rewiring America has some conservatives worried. They fear that despite her claims, Harris’s administration would harm American energy independence.
Rewiring America doesn’t file federal tax forms because it operates under the Windward Fund, a “dark money” nonprofit managed by Arabella Advisors. Founded by Alex Laskey, Saul Griffith, and Ari Matusiak, the group has been pushing for massive investments in wind and solar energy, industries in which its founders have financial interests. Critics argue that the group’s advocacy for electrification directly benefits these ventures, raising questions about conflicts of interest.
Thorndike herself has made headlines for controversial comments about climate change. She’s spoken against the oil and gas industry, even accusing it of “ecoterrorism.” Thorndike has also questioned whether having children is ethical, given the climate crisis, a perspective some find extreme.
Former Texas state representative Jason Isaac, now CEO of the American Energy Institute, warned that Harris’s decision to hire Thorndike reflects an “anti-energy stance” that could harm the economy and cost jobs. To him, it’s part of a broader effort to undermine affordable, reliable energy sources that many Americans depend on.
Thorndike and Rewiring America have yet to respond to these criticisms.
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