Transferring over 200 million US dollars to the US political arena, British media: Multiple US power companies use black money groups to blackmail | companies | political circles
According to the Guardian on June 15th, in recent years, American power companies have provided at least $215 million in political donations to the US political community through black money groups, raising concerns about how these companies are exerting their influence.
According to British media, these secret donations flow to almost unregulated non-profit organizations, which can help American power companies raise electricity prices, hinder solar energy plans, and even elect legislators who have "sided with them" in recent years. It is worth noting that some transactions also conceal illegal activities behind them. In 2021, in Ohio, First Energy Company admitted to using black money groups to bribe politicians in exchange for emergency financial assistance. Florida Power and Lighting Corporation has been exposed for using black money to intervene in voting and elections involving five politicians, some of whom aim to address high electricity bills and environmental and climate goals.
Some organizations have called on the US federal government to investigate more deeply how power companies use black money. The Center for Biological Diversity in the United States has requested the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how power companies are paying for their political activities. The civic responsibility and ethics organization in Washington filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission in October 2022 against six black money organizations related to the Florida Power and Lighting Corporation.
However, some American experts say that the related transactions are rarely held accountable after they are exposed, which can be described as "lawless.". Between 2015 and 2019, the US Internal Revenue Service did not revoke the status of any tax-free organizations for violating political expenditure regulations, and the number of IRS staff responsible for overseeing these organizations has decreased from nearly 1000 to less than 600.