Mayor William Peduto took company’s side against state regulators.Via a public records request, Motherboard has obtained a cache of emails between Uber management, including CEO Travis Kalanick, and elected officials including Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. In part, they show Uber working closely with Peduto on efforts to push back against state regulators.Though there is no sign of illegality in the emails, they show Peduto following Uber’s lead in arguing against a fine of $11.4 million, levied against the ride-sharing startup by Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission for operating illegally there in 2014. Peduto had multiple conversations with Kalanick and Uber lobbyists before writing a letter urging the Commission to reconsider the fine.
Source: Emails Show Uber’s Cozy Relationship with Pittsburgh Officials