Groups show Chesapeake "buying" Corporation Commission: Energy giant pumps nearly $40,000 in Jeff Cloud's campaign war chestSeptember 9, 2002 |
(OKLAHOMA CITY) Several groups from across Oklahoma held a press conference today stating Corporation Commission candidate Jeff Cloud is being "bought off" by Chesapeake Energy Corporation. The group also reminded Oklahomans of Enron's financial involvement in elections before its demise and questioned how Cloud could accept such an exorbitant amount of money from a company regulated by the Commission. Financial disclosure forms filed at the state Ethics Commission show Cloud accepted approximately $40,000 from the management of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and its political action committees, most of which was contributed during the final hours before the Primary Election. According to Corporation Commission dockets, Chesapeake is one of the most active companies at the Commission. It averages over 15 cases per week before Commission judges. "A corporation commissioner cannot fight to protect ratepayers if he is in the hip pocket of the companies he is supposed to regulate. Voters should not tolerate this good ole' boy system of politics," Murphy said. Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony told KTOK radio station last week, "Campaign contributions totaling $40,000 would be the largest amount ever contributed to a Corporation Commission race by the management of a single regulated company. Having a large number of $2,500 checks written on the same day by executives of the same regulated company raises questions about the money meeting the legal requirement in Oklahoma that the contributions were 'freely and voluntarily given' without the contributor being 'directly or indirectly compensated or reimbursed'." "Oklahomans won't buy this. Most Oklahomans' annual salary isn't as much as their contributions to that campaign. It's impossible to believe that he could take over $30,000 in one week from this giant corporation and not return their favor later. That's just not right. Elections should be won by voters, not bought by corporations," Murphy said.
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