Two publications reported that Florida Power and Light or FPL, the largest utility company in Florida, allegedly funneled money to a news website in order to defend its position and attack its critics.
FPL Paid Website to Attack Critics
According to Orlando Sentinel, the FPL executives used consultants and shell companies to get pro-utility articles and hits against all of its political enemies. These articles are then published on a local news website called The Capitolist.
The leaked documents reviewed by Orlando Sentinel and Miami Herald show that the editor of the website, Brian Burgess, got his paycheck of $12,000 a month from shell companies that FPL's consultants control.
Burgess once worked as the communications director of Florida's former governor, Rick Scott.
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The two new outlets reported that the FPL consultants were able to pre-screen articles that were published on The Capitloist, and they can order articles written on specific topics to be edited, from the headlines to the content.
The website did not disclose its financial relationship with FPL in its stories nor on its website.
FPL Denies Claims
An FPL spokesperson said that the utility company couldn't prove the veracity of the documents leaked by the Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel, but they have seen the evidence that "tried to make FPL look bad," and they've found no evidence of illegality or wrongdoing by FPL.
The spokesperson added that "owning a media organization is not and has never been a crime." The spokesperson used Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as an example, pointing out that he owns The Washington Post.
They also pointed out that Boston Red Sox owner John Henry owns The Boston Globe, and Miami Herald, one of the news companies reporting FPL's illegality, is owned by a private investment firm.
Although owning a news site is perfectly legal, the spokesperson said that FPL does not have an ownership interest in The Capitolist, may it directly or indirectly.
FPL also does not have editorial control over what The Capitolist writes or publishes and that the company distributes news releases to the website and when requested, responds to its media inquiries.
The process that The Capitolist follows is the same with other media organizations across the United States.
Burgess stated that the records that the Miami Herald has are filled with "errors that paint a widely inaccurate picture of The Capitolist and its operations," but he did not give any specifics.
According to Gizmodo, FPL is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, the country's largest utility. FPL is the largest utility company in the state of Florida, serving some 12 million people.
The company is also a political powerhouse, and its behind-the-scenes maneuvering in the statehouse and beyond has been the subject of several recent investigations.
In 2022, an investigation exposed the utility for writing the text of a bill that would have affected rooftop solar in the state.
FPL was revealed to have given direct contributions to politicians who used utility-written text to introduce legislation in the House and Senate.
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Written by Sophie Webster
