Utility Companies Tied To California’s Worst Disasters Keep Pouring Cash Into Democrat Campaigns

Three major California utility companies at the center of multiple fire-related lawsuits share one thing in common: donations to Democrats.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Southern California Edison (SCE), and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) each faced lawsuits tied to major wildfires — LADWP and SCE over the Los Angeles County blaze in January, and PG&E for the 2018 Paradise fire. Public records show that the companies or their affiliates donated to Democratic campaigns, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as well as major party fundraising groups like ActBlue. (RELATED: Newsom Vetoes Raise For Firefighters As LA Blaze Recovery Remains Frozen)

MONEY FOR DEMS

Since facing scrutiny for ties to California wildfires, PG&E has repeatedly drawn criticism for donating millions to the Democratic Party in California.

A 2019 Washington Post report revealed that Newsom and his wife accepted more than $700,000 in donations from PG&E and its employees over two decades. State campaign finance records from the 2019–2020 cycle also show PG&E donated $250,000 to support Newsom’s mental health ballot measure, Proposition 1, according to KCRA.

Bass also received support from the utility during her time in the state House between 2017 and 2019, taking in $1,000 from PG&E, according to KRC. While PG&E has donated to some Republican candidates, the majority of its contributions went to Democrats.

Edison International (EI), the parent company of SCE, is another major donor to Democrats in the state. During Newsom’s 2018 campaign for governor, the company donated $73,900 to his campaign, according to OpenSecrets.

When asked about the connection between the governor and the utility companies, a spokesperson for Newsom told the Daily Caller News Foundation, “The Governor considers policy solely on the merits. Period.”

Though Newsom did not appear to receive additional donations from EI during his 2022 reelection bid, Bass did. Records show she received $10,000 from EI’s PAC between 2019 and 2020, according to OpenSecrets.

Bass’ office did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

While public records do not show direct donations from the LADWP, Board President Richard Katz has a long history of contributions to Democrats dating back to 2009, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.

Katz, who runs Richard Katz Consulting (RKC) Inc., a public policy and government relations firm in Los Angeles, donated more than $15,000 to ActBlue since 2009 and contributed to Newsom’s 2013 run for lieutenant governor. Before being appointed chair of the Metrolink Board by then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, records show Katz also donated $3,000 to Villaraigosa’s campaign.

Katz did not respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

Flames quickly grow as firefighters set a backfire on the eastern front of the Park Fire, which has grown to 360,141 acres and is 12 percent contained, on July 28, 2024 near Chico, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

THE DESTRUCTION 

The Camp Fire in Paradise, California, broke out in 2018, killing 85 people and destroying 18,800 structures, including an estimated 11,000 homes. Known as one of the state’s deadliest wildfires, it caused more than $12.5 billion in damages and nearly destroyed the town.

More than 20,000 people were displaced after equipment owned by PG&E, one of the largest utility companies in the U.S., malfunctioned and sparked the blaze. Following a lawsuit from victims, PG&E estimated in May 2019 that it faced roughly $10.5 billion in liabilities.

That same year, PG&E agreed to pay $1 billion to 14 local governments across California to help cover taxpayer losses tied to the Camp Fire, as well as the 2015 Butte Fire and 2017 North Bay Fires.

PG&E notably pleaded guilty in June 2020 to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter resulting from the Camp Fire, ultimately agreeing to pay the maximum fine of $3.5 million for their crimes, in addition to $500,000 to defray the costs of the investigation.

Seven years later, wildfires in Los Angeles County — hitting Pacific Palisades and the Altadena community — were added to the list of California’s most destructive blazes.

The Altadena fire, which reached parts of Pasadena, scorched more than 14,000 acres, destroyed 9,400 structures, and killed at least 18 people. In Pacific Palisades, more than 23,000 acres burned, destroying an estimated 7,000 structures and killing 12 people.

Despite early claims from Democrats that climate change was to blame, victims sued the SCE on Jan. 14, alleging the company’s operations helped spark the deadly Altadena fire.

The LADWP became the latest major utility to face a massive lawsuit in October, as victims accused the state-run utility — the largest municipal provider in the nation — of running a “campaign of misinformation and misrepresentation” to “conceal its responsibility” for the unprecedented destruction.

The DCNF reached out to both Edison and PG&E for comment. Neither responded.

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