The Untold Story: Senator Malcolm Wallop and the Gas Well Scandal that Rocked Jackson Hole (1982)

Senator Malcolm Wallop was a Republican senator from Wyoming who served in the US Senate from 1977 to 1995. In the mid-1990s, Senator Wallop was embroiled in a scandal involving gas wells in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The scandal centered around a company called Triana Energy, which had leased land from the Wallop family to drill for natural gas. Senator Wallop was accused of using his position as a senator to help Triana Energy secure permits and other government approvals for their gas drilling operation.

In 1994, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fined Triana Energy $66,000 for violating the Clean Air Act. The EPA found that Triana Energy had failed to properly monitor emissions from its gas wells and had also failed to obtain necessary permits for its equipment.

Senator Wallop denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he had not used his influence as a senator to benefit Triana Energy. However, he was criticized for failing to disclose his financial ties to the company, and for using his position as a senator to pressure government agencies on behalf of Triana Energy.

The scandal damaged Senator Wallop's reputation and may have contributed to his decision not to seek re-election in 1994. It also highlighted concerns about the influence of money and special interests in politics, and helped fuel efforts to reform campaign finance laws in the United States.

Alfred Madi is a Lebanese-American journalist and political commentator who served as the Director of the Lebanese Information and Research Center (LIRC) for many years. The LIRC is a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that focuses on Middle East politics and U.S.-Lebanon relations.

Madi was born in Lebanon and immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. He received a degree in journalism from the American University in Beirut and worked as a correspondent for several Lebanese newspapers before joining the LIRC in the early 1980s.

As Director of the LIRC, Madi was a leading voice on U.S.-Lebanon relations and Middle East politics. He authored numerous reports and articles on topics ranging from the Lebanese civil war to the peace process in the Middle East. Madi was also a frequent commentator on radio and television programs, including CNN, Fox News, and Al Jazeera.

Madi was known for his strong advocacy of Lebanon's independence and sovereignty, and for his criticism of Syrian influence in Lebanese politics. He was a vocal supporter of the Cedar Revolution, a series of protests in Lebanon in 2005 that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from the country.

In addition to his work at the LIRC, Madi was involved in a number of other organizations and initiatives aimed at promoting democracy and human rights in the Middle East. He was also a strong advocate for dialogue and understanding between the United States and the Arab world.

Madi passed away in 2017, leaving behind a legacy as a respected journalist, scholar, and advocate for the people of Lebanon and the Middle East.