Delegate Hudson says politicians shouldn’t accept money from corporations they regulate

RICHMOND, Va. (WVIR) - Virginia doesn’t have a legal limit for how much money can be donated to state candidates, something that has sparked conversations across party lines.

According to Virginia Public Access Project, Dominion Energy has so far given $560,000 to Democrats and $640,000 to Republicans.

J. Miles Coleman with the University of Virginia Center for Politics compares it to betting on both sides of a horse race, saying it would cover the company’s initiatives either way.

“Dominion Power has long been the single largest donor to both parties in Richmond and the practice should be illegal,” 57th District Delegate Sally Hudson (D) said. “Politicians have no business accepting money from the corporations that we regulate in Richmond.”

A spokesperson for Dominion Energy says “Dominion Energy participates in the political process because we represent millions of customers and thousands of employees. They depend on us for reliable, affordable and cleaner energy. Like most companies, we contribute to candidates from both parties in support of commonsense energy policy that benefits our customers. In the most recent Virginia General Assembly session, for example, we backed bipartisan legislation that will deliver $350 million in annual savings for our customers.”

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