Blogs / The DNC In The CLT / August 2012 / NYT on Jim Rogers, Duke, DNC

NYT on Jim Rogers, Duke, DNC

The New York Times published a piece today about Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers and his star-crossed efforts to raise money for the Democratic National Convention:

"The intersection of Duke Energy’s interests and its support for the convention is testing Mr. Obama’s pledge to free the party’s gathering from business and lobbyist support. The situation is a microcosm of a larger issue that Mr. Obama’s campaign has faced."

For Charlotte readers, there is not much new information. But it's interesting to see this cast in a national light.

"Duke has found its task a thankless one. Some of its conservative shareholders have accused the company of getting too cozy with the administration. Some Democrats have complained that Mr. Rogers has not done enough to raise the money necessary for the convention. And whatever Mr. Rogers’s fund-raising success, it was not enough to stop a Democratic group from implying nefarious connections between the utility and the Republican candidate for governor here, Pat McCrory."

Curiously, the story did not explain why the "Democratic group" implied "nefarious connections" between Duke and McCrory: He worked for Duke while he served as mayor of Charlotte.