bailout
House lawmakers review coal bailouts, energy efficiency proposal
Major pieces of scandal-tainted legislation remain on the books in Ohio, and House lawmakers indicate they plan to keep it that way. The Ohio House Public Utilities Committee on Wednesday reviewed two pieces of legislation aimed at different remnants of House Bill 6 from 2019. HB 6 is now mired in a bribery scandal that […]
Ratepayers spent $166 million and counting bailing out coal plants under law that passed via bribes
Despite several plea deals with federal prosecutors regarding bribery on a massive scale to pass legislation providing a windfall to nuclear and coal companies, Ohio utility customers continue to fund bailouts of failing coal-fired power plants in Ohio and Indiana. In the first half of 2021, Ohio utility customers paid $51 million to subsidize the […]
DeWine says he didn’t know about alleged $4.3m bribe of utility regulator he appointed
Gov. Mike DeWine distanced himself Monday from a utility regulator he appointed who was accused last week of accepting millions in bribes from FirstEnergy Corp. FirstEnergy said in a court filing last week that it paid Sam Randazzo $22 million in consulting fees in the decade leading up to his appointment as chairman of the […]
Ohio consumer watchdog asks regulators to revisit coal plant bailouts
A consumer watchdog last week asked state regulators to revisit their decision to allow two Ohio utility companies to pass onto customers their losses on two coal-fired power plants they partially own. The Ohio Consumers Counsel (OCC), which represents residential ratepayers in utility issues, asked the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to revisit its […]
Indicted Householder spars with House Republicans who want him out
In a show of defiance, indicted Rep. Larry Householder proclaimed his innocence to House leadership Tuesday and rebuffed bipartisan efforts seeking his ouster. Householder, with his criminal defense attorney periodically whispering in his ear, made a two-pronged argument for himself. For one, he said the allegations against him are just that — “unproven” and “one-sided” […]
Coal plants’ owners fight to protect ‘worst of the bad subsidies’
Subsidy? What subsidy? Three Ohio utilities and a representative of the coal-fired power plants they jointly own appeared before a Senate committee Tuesday to defend an estimated $700 million subsidy they’re set to receive from ratepayers through 2030. The committee met to consider a bipartisan effort to repeal the subsidy, which was codified in 2019 […]
State Senate mulls repeal of $700m bailout to coal plants in Ohio, Indiana
An Ohio Senate committee is considering the repeal of an estimated $700 million ratepayer-funded bailout extended to two coal-fired power plants in legislation now at the center of a criminal prosecution. Senate Bill 117, which received its second hearing Wednesday, would not only end the subsidies of Ohio Valley Electric Corporation power plants, but refund […]
Nursing home assn. gave $135k to dark money group tied to Householder bribery case
An entity representing Ohio’s nursing home industry contributed at least $135,000 to a political dark money group that has pleaded guilty to its role in an alleged racketeering scheme involving former House Speaker Larry Householder. The nonprofit 501(c)(4) entity, 55 Green Meadows, is affiliated with the Ohio Health Care Association — both groups share an […]
Bill would force Householder, if convicted, to repay state salary
House Democrats introduced legislation Monday that would force GOP Rep. Larry Householder, currently under indictment in an alleged $61 million bribery scheme, to repay his salary if he’s convicted at trial. Reps. Jeffrey Crossman, D-Parma, and Michele Lepore-Hagan, D-Youngstown, said in a news release the legislation isn’t specifically directed at Householder, but state lawmakers generally […]
Two men tied to Householder corruption probe plead guilty
Two men charged alongside former GOP House Speaker Larry Householder in an alleged racketeering operation channeled through the Ohio Statehouse pleaded guilty to one felony federal charge each Thursday afternoon. The pleas mark the first known convictions in the Householder affair and an early victory for prosecutors. They also raise the possibility of the men […]
Alleged Householder texts about nuclear bailout are MIA, House says
Prosecutors say they have a text message sent from then-House Speaker Larry Householder seeking to pressure a fellow lawmaker to vote for a bill at the center of a criminal pay-to-play scheme — a text that an ally allegedly sought to get deleted. However, the House of Representatives said Friday in response to a records […]