A judge overseeing PG&E's bankruptcy is tentatively rejecting the utility's efforts to use a trust set up for Northern California fire victims to pay off its criminal fines, KQED.com reported. The controversial approach is slated to be taken up at a bankruptcy hearing today, but U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali indicated his thinking in an interim order issued on Saturday. "Some things not only have to be right, but they have to look right," Montali wrote. "Telling fire victims that their money will be used to pay criminal fines and penalties does not look right even if digging through the [settlement agreement or bankruptcy] plan would lead to that literal result." Judge Montali said. "This not only looks wrong, it is wrong." A PG&E spokesperson said that the utility intends to provide the necessary context in a discussion with the judge at today's hearing.
