Michael Whatley Faces Scrutiny Over Energy Lobbying Past

Michael Whatley is finishing his U.S. Senate race against former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper with energy costs as a central campaign theme.

Lobbying filings and tax returns detail the professional network Whatley built over two decades. He co-founded HBW Resources in 2007 and served as executive vice president of the Consumer Energy Alliance, or CEA. HBW created CEA and continues to operate it.

CEA identifies as the voice of the energy consumer and claims over 450,000 members nationwide. Its website lists major oil producers, pipeline companies, and electric utilities as members. The group obtained tax-exempt status from the IRS in September 2008.

Disputes over the authenticity of CEA support emerged in several states. In 2014, a Wisconsin judge excluded a CEA petition from evidence after some named individuals denied signing. Whatley told the Capital Times that the group often asks people if they want a letter sent on their behalf. In 2016, CEA submitted 347 letters to federal regulators supporting a pipeline in Ohio. One letter carried the name of a man who died 18 years earlier. Another was attributed to a woman with dementia. CEA dismissed fraud allegations as wildly overblown.

South Carolina law enforcement investigated about 2,000 emails sent via the CEA website in 2018 to support a $14.6 billion utility merger. Residents reported their names were used without permission. Whatley said in a statement that the group stood behind its methodology for collecting comments. In 2023, nearly 150 Ohioans claimed they did not authorize signatures on letters supporting fracking in state parks. A nine-year-old was among those listed. CEA blamed a subcontractor and said it instituted new controls.

Financial records show CEA paid more than $24 million to HBW for management services between 2014 and 2025. All 17 people listed on the CEA staff page work for HBW. Whatley left HBW in 2022. He served as chair of the Republican National Committee from March 2024 to August 2025 and earned a salary of more than $1.1 million during that period.

Whatley continues to earn consulting income through CAPCVENTURES, a firm founded by Michael Zehr. Whatley reported $361,000 in income from the firm in 2026. His recent financial disclosure lists clients including the Renewable Fuels Association, Centrus Energy, and GE Vernova. Whatley and his family hold up to $12.1 million in total assets, including up to $410,000 in Duke Energy stock.