The head of the state's largest electric utility says he won't disclose what, if anything, his company spent to help elect favored candidates to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
A month ago commissioner Bob Burns asked APS CEO Don Brandt to disclose the information. Brandt has now responded, saying that if APS spent any money, it came from shareholders-- and it's none of the commission's business.
Campaign finance reports from the 2014 election show that Save Our Future Now and the Free Enterprise Club together spent more than $3 million on the campaign to help elect Republicans Tom Forese and Doug Little. The groups contend they're not required to reveal their donors. And APS will neither confirm nor deny giving them money.
Burns said the fight is not over-- "I'm going to meet with staff and we're going to figure out our next step. I mean, I'm not really that surprised at the response."
More to the point, Burns said he believes the commission has the right to demand the information, "and if it takes a subpoena to get there, then that's the path we'll end up taking."
Both Forese and Little have consistently said they don't know whether APS helped them win through any funding from outside groups. And they have rejected a separate request by two former commissioners that they recuse themselves from participating in any upcoming hearings on a move by APS to impose a surcharge on solar customers for maintaining the grid.