"It appears the complaint is about filming a sensitive national security site owned by Exxon petroleum. It seems that photographing major Bush donors is now a federal offense."
This facility is probably key to oil and gas pipelines coming from the Gulf Coast tank farms and refineries to the rest of the country. It's strategic importance doesn't have anything to do with political contributions.
Yes, what you said went through my mind, too. And, I wonder if Palast even considered such a possibility.