What does it mean to be bought and paid for…Consumer Advocate Patty Durand

When an elected official is referred to as “bought and paid for”, that usually means they have been given money by a powerful corporation in return for a favorable law or ruling.
This is usually in the form of campaign donations, although sometimes it is done with bribery. In either case it means corruption.

We see corruption in action at the Georgia Public Service Commission in lots of ways, probably the biggest way with lawyers at one of Georgia’s largest law firms, Troutman Pepper, who donate tens of thousands of dollars to Commissioners, shown in this photo sitting at a table before commissioners while representing Georgia Power in a proceeding there.

These donations to commissioners are from Georgia Power’s lawyers doing business before the commission, the very definition of corrupt. Even worse, these three attorneys (Brandon Marzo, Allison Pryor, and Steve Hewitson) are partners, which means they bill in excess of $1000/hr. No sir, no junior attorneys for Georgia Power. These partners spend hours and hours and hours of billable time preparing for Georgia Power’s rate case and Integrated Resource proceedings, then dozens of hours more attending hearings, all billing at enormous partner rates. Guess who pays? At first, Georgia Power. Then, you, because every penny of every expense that Georgia Power spends is recoverable from our electricity bills – bills that PSC Commissioners do not pay, not being customers of Georgia Power at their homes.

Are these donations legal? The Georgia Public Service Commission is a quasi-judicial state agency funded with our state taxes supposedly operating to benefit the public interest. Commissioners sit at a dais, as you see in the photo, and act as judges, listening to evidence and testimony under oath from two sides just as in court – one side with Georgia Power asking for billions of dollars in rate increases and other approvals that I’ve written about here, and those representing the public interest, working to show commissioners that there are far less expensive and cleaner ways to generate electricity that keeps bills affordable. That side never wins. Now we know why.

Georgia has laws on the books that seems to want to create an ethical Public Service Commission. For example, state law requires that commissioners remain neutral and not express opinions during proceedings, that they not violate ex parte rules, a Latin term that means lawyers are forbidden to meet with a judge, in this case, a commissioner, outside the presence of opposing counsel, and most important, state law requires that Commission “shall” set rates that are just and reasonable.

So if the PSC operates similar to a court with judicial proceedings and testimony under oath, how can it be legal for Georgia Power’s lawyers doing business at the commission to donate tens of thousands of dollars to individual commissioners, when that would never be allowed in a court of law with judges?

To read more, click here.