“in the unanticipated event that the Project fails to obtain and maintain State Approvals.” The key word there is “unanticipated.” It suggests that Dominion was not just capping its liability but rather trading $58 million for a commitment from McAuliffe that the pipeline would be approved – a commitment that rejection would be, in the words of the agreement, an “unanticipated event.” Paying millions of dollars to approve a private company’s pet project is exactly what it looks like – a good old fashion pay-to-play scheme – exactly like the one now being roundly criticized, even by pipeline supporters, in neighboring North Carolina.
