Shareholders of Arizona Public Service’s parent company voted down a proposal to require the company to more fully disclose what it spends on political campaigns. The annual shareholders meeting drew a small crowd of protesters.
Shareholders were asked to vote on several agenda items, including the campaign-finance item known as proposal 4.
"As a legislator we have been trying to clarify and make 'dark money' transparent and we have not been able to get anywhere," said Ken Clark, a state lawmaker and one of the protest’s organizers.
Clark alleges APS gave a significant amount of funding to "dark money" groups to support certain candidates in the state’s 2014 Corporation Commission election. Members of that panel regulate utilities like APS.
Ray Brooks, a spokesman with APS, acknowledged the company is politically active and said it complies with all laws and regulations related to campaign finance and disclosure.
"We have a responsibility to be politically active to advocate for sound energy policies that benefit our 1.2 million customers and our shareholders," Brooks said.
All shareholders on record by March were eligible to vote.
