“I am here as a dad,” said resident Tim Prather, who stepped up to the microphone in Panama City Beach during a hearing in Florida Power & Light’s case to hike electricity rates.

“I have been an FPL customer for over 30 years,” said Rachel Keesling at a similar hearing, held virtually.

“I have lived in South Florida all 27 years of my life, and I am a business owner,” said Daniel Bogardus at another near Miami.

Each had one more thing in common: They worked for businesses or organizations that have received financial backing from the state’s largest energy provider and failed to disclose that fact when they testified.

They weren’t alone.

The Tampa Bay Times identified 49 people with connections to the utility who testified in support of the rate hikes . They are from foundations, ch

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