Fayetteville Observer: “Whatley, who has already drawn negative scrutiny for profiting off oil investments during the Iran War, faces an actually easy [decision] with the Chemours loot: Throw it back in their faces.”

A new column in the Fayetteville Observer is calling out DC insider Michael Whatley for taking the max donation from the Chemours Company PAC – despite the company’s decades-long history of dumping PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, into the Cape Fear River in Eastern North Carolina. 

Now, while raking in their cash, Whatley is AGAIN refusing to answer questions about the federal government’s recent settlement with Chemours or the EPA’s decision to roll back regulations limiting PFAS in drinking water.

Más información:

Fayetteville Observer: Opinion: In Cumberland, Whatley taking cash from Chemours not so great

Myron B. Pitts | August 5, 2026

• The Chemours name is mud around here. That is the reality. 
• It is what happens when a chemical company contaminates parts of Bladen and Cumberland counties with PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that include GenX and have put residents in Gray’s Creek and surrounding areas on bottled water for many years now. Wilmington and other areas in southeast North Carolina have been hard hit, too. 
• And Chemours is spattering Whatley with its muddy name. Its Political Action Committee over the spring donated $5,000 to the Republican candidate. 
• I reached out to DJ Griffin, a Whatley campaign spokesman, about whether Whatley would return the money. I did not hear back from the campaign on that issue or another question I asked about whether Whatley agreed with the federal government’s Chemours settlement. 
• There are often tough decisions to be made in these Senate campaigns, and in politics in general. Hard decisions.  
• However, candidate Whatley, who has already drawn negative scrutiny for profiting off oil investments during the Iran War, faces an actually easy one with the Chemours loot: Throw it back in their faces. 

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