Updated with further comment from Sanders’ spokesman

Mobil mogul Skip Vallee is putting his money where his mouth is.

Two days after releasing an online ad attacking Sen. Bernie Sanders’ environmental record, the gasoline distributor and retailer has ponied up roughly $1500 to air the ad three times tonight on WCAX-TV.

Vallee says he’s spending his own money on the ad in order to “highlight counter-arguments to Bernie’s unilateral support for Costco.”

Sanders has been hammering Vallee and fellow gasoline distributors for months, alleging they’re gouging customers in northwestern Vermont. The senator has also urged environmental regulators to expedite their review of a proposed Costco gas station in Colchester, arguing that increased competition will help drive down prices.

Vallee, on the other hand, has sought to slow down the Costco review, citing environmental concerns. He happens to own a gas station right down the road from the proposed new pumps.

Vallee, who owns nearly 40 Mobil stations in Vermont — many of them under the Maplefields brand — declined a request for a phone interview Thursday. Reached by email, he wrote, “I challenge Bernie to a VPR debate on the Keystone Pipeline and Lake Champlain cleanup.”

Sanders did not respond to that challenge Thursday, but he did push back on Vallee’s ad in a written statement:

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Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

4 replies on “Vallee Airs Anti-Sanders Ad on WCAX”

  1. Skip Vallee has been ripping off Vermonters and attacks Bernie. What’s not new? Skip has a bone to pick and the money to buy air time to voice it. He has the money because he steals from the pockets of Vermonters. He is showing his true colors. I don’t support Costco but I am tired of being treated this way.

  2. this is so funny. GOP bigwig caught in an environmental and big-business standoff with Bernie. Gasoline Valley is in a heavyweight fight, and he’s way overmatched.

  3. Skip is correct about Bernie, Gas prices only became an issue for him when Costco offered goodies in the basket time for Bernie. It appears that Sanders has been caught out in the Costco leaders bullshit campaign about taxing the rich at the democratic convention.
    Costco has just borrowed 3 billion so they can pay them selves a huge extraordinaire dividend before the federal tax rates rise in January.
    Vallee with all his warts is a Vermonter who pays all of his corporate and state income taxes to Vermont unlike Costco and he doesn’t pretend to care so he can buy off loudmouthed politicians.

  4. We have the same thing in NY. Gas prices in Plattsburgh (across the lake from Burlington) is about 20 cents highter than it is in Glens Falls. Why?

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