Politics & Government
Northeast Utilities CEO Asks Executives to Donate to Malloy Campaign
Nearly $47,000 in donations have been made by top NU employees to the "CT Democratic State Central Committee — Federal" account.
A request by Northeast Utilities CEO and chairman Thomas J. May to his subordinates to support Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in his re-election campaign has netted the governor nearly $47,000 in campaign donations, according to the Hartford Courant.
May sent out an e-mail to 48 senior NU executives throughout New England in mid-September calling for them to donate to Malloy’s re-election efforts, the Courant reported.
In the e-mail, May said that the governor has had to respond to massive issues such as the Newtown shootings and “historic storms,” according to the Courant.
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“Through it all, the Governor has shown decisive leadership, skillful collaboration and a keen ability to keep Connecticut moving forward," May wrote.
The request actually calls for donations to be made to the “CT Democratic State Central Committee — Federal,” account which, according to an NU spokeswoman Caroline Pretyman, was to comply with campaign election laws.
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The e-mail has resulted in $46,500 in donations from 20 NU executives, the Courant reported. Prior to the e-mail, NU employees had contributed $5,000 to the state party’s federal account, according to the Courant.
The support comes just more than two years after Malloy blasted Connecticut Light & Power, which is owned by NU, for its response to the October 2011 snowstorm that resulted in massive power outages in the state.
NU in 2012 merged with Boston-based utility NSTAR, a move that was supported by Malloy administration officials “after negotiations that they said will provide benefits for consumers,” the Courant reported.
Malloy is expected to face a tough battle for re-election. Fundraising efforts include breakfast with the governor on Wednesday at a hotel buffet at the Democratic Governors Association conference in Hartford in exchange for a $10,000 sponsorship or a corporate membership in the association for between $100,000 to $250,000, the CT Mirror reported.Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.