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San Francisco Dinner Honoring Ex-CPUC Exec Accused Of Shady Dealings Met With Protests

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) – After stepping down over accusations of shady dealings, former California Public Utilities Commission president Michael Peevey was the guest of honor at a fancy dinner in San Francisco Thursday night.

Protesters greeted the attendees outside the Julia Morgan ballroom in the Financial District, some chanting "Crooks honoring crooks." The $250 a plate dinner honoring Peevey was emceed by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown.

Peevey Dinner
Invitation to dinner honoring former CPUC President Michael Peevey on February 12, 2015. (Office of State Sen. Jerry Hill)

Peevey recently stepped down from his post as head of the PUC, after federal and state investigators began looking into unreported deals and meetings he had with the heads of the very power companies his agency is supposed to be regulating.

"You're really seeing a walk of shame on the part of people that have associated with a corrupt system orchestrated with a corrupt person," said former San Diego City Manager Michael Aguirre, who gathered with the protesters.

Don Solem, who co-chaired the dinner, told KPIX 5, "It celebrates a career in public service. A long term thing and I don't think the dinner has anything to do with the taxpayers."

When asked about the investigations, Solem said, "Obviously, there are investigations underway. I think the answer is that this dinner really has nothing to do with that."

Peevey is accused of alleged backdoor deals involving PG&E over the San Bruno pipeline explosion that killed eight people in 2010. Recently, investigators are looking at a meeting involving a Southern California Edison executive in 2013 that was not disclosed until this week.

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