Since our exclusive interview with Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring on December 18 – during which Herring announced, “At this point going forward I’m not going to accept contributions from state-regulated monopolies or their registered lobbyists or key executives” – I’ve been very curious to see whether more Democrats would publicly break with Dominion Energy. On that note, just today we had two significant developments.
First, see below for the news, courtesy of WINA, that House Democratic Leader David Toscano will be putting in legislation that “prohibits direct contributions to campaigns from publicly-regulated utilities such as Dominion Energy.” WINA adds, “[Toscano] says he doesn’t believe such utilities should be contributing to legislators who then turn around and regulate what they do.” Exactly what I’ve been saying for years, but until 2017, it mostly felt like it was falling on deaf ears. Now that appears to be changing in a big way. Note, by the way, that Toscano has taken around $40k from Dominion over the years, which also makes this turnaround a significant development. Of course, the fact that Toscano is being primaried, and also that an increasing number of House Democratic Caucus members – closing in on half, from what I hear – no longer will take money from Dominion, might have played into this. But whatever, for those of us who just want the corrupting, corrosive, polluting (in more ways than one) influence of Dominion Energy to end, whatever does the trick I guess…
Next, see below for the newsletter I just received from Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax), who says that he is now “refusing future campaign donations from Dominion Energy,” after having done so in the past. Del. Krizek adds his acknowledgement that – again, as people like me have been saying for years – “such donations contribute to public distrust in government and feed the narrative that the energy monopolies control the legislative body” and that “it erodes the public trust that you could be in a position to regulate a state run monopoly that is also contributing to your campaign.” Exactly! So again, whatever the reason(s) for this shift, I’m glad to see it – thanks to Del. Krizek!
Finally, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported yesterday on an example of a Virginia Democrat – in this case, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, a protege of former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and someone widely rumored to have statewide ambitions for 2021 or 2025 – holding his ground regarding Dominion money. According to the Times-Dispatch report, Stoney goes with the convoluted double negative, saying, “I have no plans not to accept any contributions” from Dominion Energy, and also declaring that “the only entity that I do not accept contributions from: I don’t accept contributions from payday lenders.” Which is kind of weird, when you think about it, since as bad as payday lenders are, they’re at least not busy corrupting our state government and trashing our environment. What’s Stoney’s thinking here? As far as I can tell, it comes down in large part to the fact that “Stoney’s administration is negotiating with a private entity headed by Dominion CEO Thomas F. Farrell II over a sweeping downtown development plan the mayor endorsed in November.” Also, of course Terry McAuliffe is tight with Dominion, so that might play into it as well. But bottom line: this statement by Stoney is NOT in sync with the way the party is moving these days, as evidenced by so many who have pledged not to take Dominion money. The question is whether those, like Stoney, who keep taking that money will pay a price politically, and if it’s one that they’re willing/able to pay…
P.S. I wonder what Sen. “Dominion Dick” $a$law, who has been a big recipient of $$$ from both Dominion Energy AND payday lenders over the years, thinks of all this. LOL
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