By Rachel Leingang | Arizona Capitol Times
The Arizona Corporation Commission Tuesday voted down one commissioner’s requests to green light subpoenas and allow him to question utility executives about their election and lobbying expenses.
Commissioner Bob Burns, a Republican, has sought for nearly two years to disclose electioneering spending by Arizona Public Service or its parent company, Pinnacle West.
Today’s vote is the latest in a lengthy battle between Burns, his fellow commissioners and APS, which has spanned from subpoenas to no votes on other APS projects to the courtroom. But it was the first chance for all the commissioners to vote yes or no on Burns’ quest.
The utility openly spent millions through an independent expenditure group on the 2016 election, including money that boosted Burns. It is also alleged that the utility funneled funds to dark money groups that spent to help out Republican commission candidates Doug Little and Tom Forese in 2014.
The commission’s latest vote clears the way for Burns to go back to court and seek disclosure that way, now that his fellow commissioners haven’t allowed him to pursue his request further through Corporation Commission proceedings.
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