115 of 170 NC Legislators Have Duke/Progress Donations
The merger of Duke Energy and Progress Energy would not only create the largest electric utility in the nation. The combined lobbying muscle of the two companies would likely produce the most politically influential corporation in North Carolina, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan watchdog group, Democracy North Carolina.
“Duke and Progress Energy have consistently sponsored political action committees that rank among the top 10 in the state, and together they would surpass Bank of America to form the largest corporate PAC in North Carolina,” said Bob Hall, executive director of the group.
“Their combined spending on NC and federal lobbying and political donations hit $19 million in the 2009-2010 cycle,” he said. “Total political spending over the past 8 years is $52 million – just for NC and national politics, not counting spending in other states like FL and SC where they operate.”
Hall noted that 115 of the 170 state legislators elected in 2010 got a donation from one or both of the utilities; the top legislative leaders from both parties received at least $13,000 each…
Read the full release with two charts detailing the utilities’ spending on lobbying and political donations here.
