ComEd spread campaign cash around

SPRINGFIELD — Dozens of lawmakers got campaign donations from the energy industry as ComEd pushed for legislation that likely will lead to rate hikes.

“This money flowed into campaign coffers not during the middle of any tight election campaigns but in the middle of a hard-fought legislative battle,” said Brian Gladstein, executive director of Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, which released data detailing the donations Wednesday.

“When election campaigns finally do get into gear, voters will want to know whether the contributions influenced floor votes,” he said.

Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican, was the rank-and-file suburban lawmaker who took in the most from energy companies in the last year — $19,000 according to ICPR.

Dillard said there was “no connection” between the contributions and his vote for ComEd's proposal. Dillard said local officials argued that better electric grid technology could lead to shorter blackouts, a point made especially urgent after the summer's storms.

“I've been a serious student of energy infrastructure as a member of the Energy Committee for a number of years,” Dillard said.

Lawmakers just last week voted to override Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of the significant utility legislation that was debated for months. So the plan became law despite Quinn's objections.

The proposal requires ComEd to invest billions of dollars into making upgrades and repairs to its grid system but makes it easier for the company to recoup that money via rate hikes.

The company has estimated the average customer will see an increase on his or her bill of about $3 per month.

In total, the ICPR numbers find energy companies donated about $867,000 to lawmakers in the last year. Opponents of ComEd's plan donated about $185,000.

Legislative leaders from both parties, who spread their money around the state to get candidates, took in far more than rank-and-file lawmakers.

House Speaker Michael Madigan got about $58,000 from energy companies, and fellow Democrat and Senate President John Cullerton got about $91,000, according to ICPR.

House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego received about $106,000 from utility interests and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno got about $86,000.