Detroit area rep proposes ban on secret money from DTE, other utilities to politicians

A Garden City Democrat is proposing a ban on utility companies, including DTE and Consumers Energy, from donating secret money to political campaigns.

Garden City Rep. Dylan Wegela proposed two new pieces of legislation he says will be aimed at curbing the influence of secret money from utilities in Michigan's politics.

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As it stands now, corporations including DTE and Consumers can donate millions of dollars to political candidates. Wegela cites the high rates paid by consumers and questions why DTE and other utilities make it difficult for residents to know where the money is going.

"We live in the wealthiest nation in the world yet our utility companies can’t reliably keep the lights on?" Rep. Wegela asked. "We pay top dollar for our utilities in Michigan - one of the highest rates in the region - yet it feels like someone could sneeze and the power goes out. By prohibiting utility companies from influencing our politics through difficult to track political donations, we are taking a huge step towards ensuring those who are elected by the people, serve the people - not utilities."

In May, DTE rejected a proposal to be more transparent about political donations after Attorney General Dana Nessel called the current standards "deficient" mainly because they can influence public policy and rates.

Wegela's proposed legislation would prohibit an electric or natural gas utility from making contributions to any Political Action Committees (PAC) and prevents PACs from giving to other PACs.

According to Wegela, both Republicans and Democrats agree that this kind of transparency is needed.

"Our constituents and Michiganders across the state are demanding accountability and transparency from their elected officials and our utility companies," said Rep. Wegela. "People who are Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all agree it is past time for us to take action as legislators, and this is a great first step towards that."