Rep. Eric Swalwell, the Democratic frontrunner for California governor, insists to voters that he’ll crack down on utilities to decrease skyrocketing power prices — however he’s quietly pocketed a fortune in marketing campaign money from the state’s largest supplier.
Swalwell raked in additional than $113,000 from workers at PG&E by means of his congressional marketing campaign and PAC, because the much-despised utility firm hiked charges by 101% over a decade and racked up felony convictions that led some officers to shun donations.
The East Bay congressman has vowed on the marketing campaign path that he’ll get powerful on utilities as Californians face a few of the highest power prices within the nation — together with the highest housing and gasoline prices.
“As governor, I’ll maintain utilities accountable and anticipate those that revenue probably the most to assist repair the local weather disaster,” Swalwell mentioned
“We should have accountability and necessities for the utility firms to do every little thing to cap their traces .. we have now to ensure utilities are a part of making communities complete,” Swalwell mentioned in social media adverts.
PG&E donations to Swawell — from the PG&E Company Workers Power PAC, representing workers of the utility — date again to 2014 and the latest recorded donation got here final yr.
Swalwell continued taking cash from the PAC even after the agency’s gear sparked the catastrophic Camp Hearth in 2018 that killed 85 individuals and worn out Paradise, Calif.
The utility agency pleaded responsible to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter after the 17-day blaze scorched greater than 150,000 acres, main the corporate to file chapter.
The corporate was convicted of seven felonies in 2016 after a pipeline explosion in San Bruno, Calif. killed eight individuals and destroyed 38 houses in a suburban neighborhood.
The convictions led politicians resembling Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Nancy Pelosi to shun marketing campaign contributions from the utility, which is taken into account a monopoly in big swaths of the state.
“Eric Swalwell appears keen to make any promise, break any promise, and take any test to get elected — together with from PG&E, AIPAC, DHS contractors, and fossil gasoline firms,” mentioned a spokesperson for billionaire local weather activist Tom Steyer, one in every of Swalwell’s important Democratic rivals.
“Tom Steyer has dedicated to decreasing utility charges by 25% by busting monopolies like PG&E, and he’s the one candidate who can get it finished as a result of he refuses to take their cash and owes them nothing.”
California electrical energy payments have skyrocketed by 39% general over up to now six years, thanks partly to the damaging wildfires which have ripped by means of the state.
PG&E, the most important investor-owned utility in California, had 13 pending fee hike requests earlier than the California Public Utilities Fee as of February, in accordance with the San Francisco Chronicle.
PG&E claimed in a press launch this month that it expects “typical residential electrical charges to be decrease general in 2026 than in 2025.”
Swalwell has claimed on the marketing campaign path he’ll deliver down utility charges and enhance clear power.
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“Democrats have given us the best electrical payments within the nation after Hawaii, they’ve practically doubled within the final ten years,” GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton informed The Submit. “How can we probably belief a Democrat to do something about it, particularly one who’s a PG&E puppet similar to Gavin Newsom?”
“Eric Swalwell has been taking bribes — sorry, donations — from PG&E for years,” he added.
Latest polls present Swalwell on the prime of the pack of Democratic candidates — although two Republicans, former Fox Information Host Steve Hilton and ex-Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, are within the lead.
Regardless of strain from California Democratic Get together Chair Rusty Hicks, just one Democrat has dropped out of the race — and many citizens are disengaged, sparking panic amongst Dems that voters may wind up with two conservative Republicans on the poll in November.
California has a nonpartisan major system, that means the highest two vote-getters within the June major will advance to the November election.
