State Sen. Dan Duffy (left), R-Lake Barrington, listens to Senate discussions in Springfield. Duffy is seeking to rescind a state law that allows ComEd to collect money from customers’ bills for political contributions. Photo courtesy of State Sen. Dan Duffy

A state senator is working to pass legislation to rescind a little-known law allowing utility giant ComEd to make donations to political groups with customers’ money.

State Sen. Dan Duffy, R-Lake Barrington, said he will work both sides of the aisle to get a bill passed to stop the electric company’s donation practice.

“They are taking advantage of customers with their charitable contributions,” Duffy said in an interview with the Cook County Chronicle. “They are collecting money from customers and donating it to politically connected groups to raise rates.

They are using an old, obscure law to raise rates and punish customers. They are thinking of their stakeholders and not their customers responsible for these donations.”

Duffy’s outrage followed a Chicago Tribune story noting that the Exelon-owned electric company has collected $60 million during the past eight years and given that money to political organizations.

A state law, passed in the late 1980s, allows ComEd to collect about 15 cents per customer every month for the utility’s charitable contributions.

“They are keeping customers in the dark about how their money is spent,” Duffy said. “There is no transparency.”

Duffy has asked Attorney General Lisa Madigan to investigate the practice and its legality.

In the meantime, Duffy said, he will work on legislation prohibiting the practice. He said since his call for reform, he has garnered support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

“This crosses all boundaries,” Duffy said. “We all feel we are getting ripped off. This is a problem I want solved.”

The only negative feedback he has gotten, the state senator said, is from ComEd officials and their lobbyists.

“They asked me to back off,” Duffy said. “I have no intention of backing off. They just keep saying it is a law that was passed in the ’80s and that they are allowed to do it.

“Just because it’s allowed doesn’t mean it’s right.”

ComEd contends that it has a strong record of community involvement and that the contributions are helping customers, not hurting them.

“ComEd’s record for corporate citizenship – employee volunteerism, civic involvement and charitable contributions – is extensive and a source of pride for everyone who works at ComEd,” a company statement sent to The Chronicle said. “The contributions provide important benefits to our customers.”

“All ComEd contributions are made in accordance with the Illinois law that has been in place for three decades. Contributions made by all Illinois utilities are recovered in the same manner.”

“ComEd makes public and transparent the record of all these contributions in its rate case documentations. Every contribution is reviewed during the annual rate proceeding and is subject to challenge by any third party who wishes to weigh in, including the attorney general. No contribution is recovered unless approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission upon completion of the investigation process. The ICC currently has an open case examining charitable giving by Illinois utilities. The AG is an active party to that case.”