VEA Members for Change Legal Fund 2019

We need your help to raise the funds to insure the Valley Electric Association Board of Directors and their member-paid attorneys do not keep our cooperative hostage!

In 2016, our member-owned electric cooperative promised members no rate increases for a period of 5 years if we voted to let them sell transmission assets for $200,000,000.00. In some meetings, the promise was through 2024 or 10 years.

The community gave them their vote based upon this promise, yet, less than 18 months after the sale closed and VEA pocketed the money, VEA unilateraly raised rates anyway, with little discussion, notice, or explanation.

In February 2019, after the stealthy rate increase was finally public, members started a petition campaign to recall the Board of Directors to get answers as to why $200MM was not enough to insure rate stability for the 5 year promised.

Since the petition drive started, the county Sheriff raided the company after informants told them that the former CEO left due to a sexual harassment incident and cooperative monies were paid to silence everyone involved.

Several days later, the CEO was arrested for Embezzlement for using cooperative resources at her personal residence.

The CEO, Board, and other senior executives are still under criminal investigation according to the Sheriff's department as reported in local media.

Now, the Board of Directors is using member money to pay attorneys to try to stop or derail the petition drive to remove them. VEA members only choice is to hire attorneys to represent our interests against the Board of Directors to insure we get a chance to vote on recalling the Board. 

We need your help to raise the funds to stop the Board of Directors and their member-paid attorneys from keeping the members hostage from their own business.