Twelve employees of Northeast Utilities made donations to the Connecticut Democratic Party in October, according to a monthly filing with the Federal Election Commission, as did two employees of its subsidiary Connecticut Light & Power.
In all, the Democrats’ federal committee raised $17,000 from NU and CL&P employees last month. Six of the 14 donors listed Connecticut addresses.
Only two donors – Margaret Morton, vice president of government affairs, and Jeffrey Kotkin, vice president of investor relations – had made a federal donation to the party before last month, according to the FEC website.
“We encourage our employees to be active in their communities and supporting the political process is a natural extension of that,” a spokesman for NU said.
James Judge, executive vice president and CFO, made the largest contribution, $5,000. He lives in Massachusetts.
Werner Schweiger, president of electric distribution, gave $2,500. Schweiger lives in New York.
Morton and Rodney Powell, president of the gas unit, gave $1,500 each. Five other vice presidents gave $1,000: Kenneth Bowes, Ellen Angley, Jeffrey Cahoon, Laurie Foley and Stephen Sullivan.
Angley and Sullivan live in Massachusetts. Foley lives in Vermont.
The party received 10 donations, including all contributions by residents of other states, on Oct. 23.
The Courant’s Jon Lender has previously reported on NU’s political connections through numerous lobbyists and a contract with Global Strategies Group, where former NU communications executive Tanya Meck now works.
In March 2012 Gov. Dannel Malloy and Attorney General George Jepsen, both Democrats, announced an agreement with Northeast Utilities that would allow it to merge with NSTAR, a utility company based in Boston. The deal includes $15 million in energy efficiency funds.
Malloy made two announcements this month about funding for electric car charging stations using the money from NU.