TALLAHASSEE, FL — New documents revealed in The Tampa Bay Times last night directly contradict Washington lobbyist David Jolly’s false claim that he did not lobby for offshore drilling – a clear example of Jolly caught in a lie and practicing exactly the kind of dishonest behavior that Pinellas residents hate about Congress.

Jolly has spent the last week doubling down – continuing to repeat his false claim to Pinellas residents and reporters. We know it can be tough to keep up with Jolly’s desperate spin and misleading statements. So for your easy reference, here’s a day by day timeline of Jolly’s Lobby-Gate Lie:   

TIMELINE:

MONDAY: At a Republican forum, David Jolly calls a claim he lobbied for oil-drilling interests “a complete fabrication.” Later that evening, Jolly doubles-down. [Tampa Bay Times, 1/6/14; Creative Loafing, 1/6/14]

TUESDAY: David Jolly repeats his lie, releasing a statement again claiming he did not lobby for offshore drilling:

“At the January 6 Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce forum I was unequivocal in stating I had never personally lobbied for offshore oil drilling interests,’ said Jolly. ‘I remain unequivocal in that statement. A later review of public documents did reveal that a former client of mine endorsed a comprehensive energy independence blueprint that could have possibly expanded drilling in the Gulf, but I did not lobby on its behalf.’” [SaintPetersBlog, 1/7/14]

THURSDAY AFTERNOON:  David Jolly’s campaign spokesman calls claims that he lobbied for offshore drilling “slanderous,” “malicious,” and “knowingly false.” [Creative Loafing, 1/9/14]

THURSDAY NIGHT: The Tampa Bay Times releases Jolly’s “own 2011 federal lobbying report, which indicates he lobbied for a House bill designed to expand oil drilling in the gulf and elsewhere. Under the ‘specific lobbying issues’ listed in his report, Jolly included House Resolution 909, ‘A Roadmap for America’s Energy Future.’”Jolly’s final, flimsy claim? “Overcomplying.” [Tampa Bay Times, 1/9/14, Headline: “Candidate Jolly says he did not lobby for oil bill, despite document that says he did.”]

“Washington lobbyist David Jolly’s refusal to tell the truth is just the kind of thing Pinellas residents hate about Washington – but this kind of dishonesty is exactly what we would expect from a D.C. lobbyist,” said Joshua Karp of the Florida Democratic Party. “In just days, Jolly’s excuses about his clear record of lobbying for offshore drilling have morphed from a ‘complete fabrication’ to ‘overcomplying.’ One thing is clear: Jolly is showing Pinellas residents exactly why sending a lobbyist to Congress would only make Washington worse.”