PJI President Files Complaint Against PG&E Over Funding of Prop 8

San Francisco, CA – Brad Dacus filed an administrative complaint with the California Public Utilities Commission over the $250,000 contribution by PG&E to oppose traditional marriage. The quarter million dollar donation went to the war chest of the No on Proposition 8 campaign. The executive director of Equality California, Geoff Kors, was quoted in the LA Times as saying: “We are thrilled to partner with PG&E.”

“It is outrageous that a mammoth utility used my money to undermine the values of families in my community,” said Dacus, who is the president of the Pacific Justice Institute. The complaint submitted by Dacus to the Commission stated: “Proposition 8 has no relevance to the supply and distribution of energy services to its customers. As a corporation which has been given near monopoly status (CA Public Utilities Code section 451, et seq.), its use of money extracted from customers to influence an item appearing on the ballot that does not promote the welfare of customers relative to energy is an abuse of trust.”

The complaint asks the Public Utilities Commission to exercise its powers under Article XII, section 2 of the California Constitution to conduct an investigation and hold hearings as to the lawfulness of the contribution. In addition, the complaint requests that the “Commission take all appropriate actions to remedy this matter, including fines, available under the law.”

The vice president for the San Francisco based utility giant, Nancy McFadden, stated that the company was “proud to join No on 8 and Equality California to protect the freedom to marry for all Californians.” Dacus, however, said that “if the corporate fat cats want to write personal checks to overthrow traditional marriage, that’s their business. But not on my dime.”

“This is why we are encouraging natural gas users to switch to another gas company as hundreds have already requested via www.NOtoPGE.com.”