How much campaign cash do state regulators receive from utility companies?

Louisiana state regulators receive more campaign cash from utility and oil and gas sources than regulators in many other states, Floodlight reports. 

The analysis is a part of a months’ long investigation by the publication, which looked at campaign contributions made by some of Louisiana’s top energy providers including Entergy Louisiana, Cleco and Bernhard Capital Partners. 

Technically part-time officials, Louisiana commissioners are paid $53,000 a year, $90,000 less than the average paid to commissioners elsewhere: Mississippi pays commissioners $135,000 a year; Texas, $200,000. 

Over the past decade, Entergy Louisiana, its executives and family members have given campaign donations totaling about $350,000 to commissioners. Cleco, the second largest electric utility in the state, and its executives have donated $206,000 to commission races. Neither responded to a request for comment about their donations.

Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm, gave more than $200,000 in campaign contributions to Louisiana PSC members before they unanimously approved—without discussion—Bernhard’s purchase of Entergy Louisiana’s gas distribution system in August.

Louisiana commissioners who responded to Floodlight say campaign money doesn’t influence their decisions. 

“Hell no, I do what I want,” says Foster Campbell, who has served on the commission for 21 years. In the last decade he’s received 34% of his campaign contributions from utilities and fossil fuel sources. Read the full story.