bribery
State regulators made ‘utility-friendly’ edits to audit of coal plant bailout, emails show
Documents show state utility regulators sought edits to draft versions of an audit they commissioned, prompting the removal of declarations that a ratepayer-funded bailout of two uneconomic coal plants was a bad deal for Ohio electric customers. Staff at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, which sets customers’ water and electric rates, asked an auditor […]
GOP Ohio senator fought to repeal corrupt law; party leaders drew him out of his district
New lines drawn by state GOP leaders ousted Sen. Mark Romanchuk, a Republican from Richland County, from the district that elected him to his seat in 2020. Since the indictment of the former speaker of the House last summer and subsequent guilty pleas from four alleged co-conspirators, Romanchuk has led the charge among Ohio Republicans […]
FBI suspected Dayton Mayor Whaley of bribery in 2014, court documents show
The FBI suspected Dayton Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley in 2014 of accepting cash bribes from a city contractor, according to unsealed search warrant applications filed in federal court. Whaley was not charged with any crime and the U.S. Department of Justice has closed the investigation. The warrants detail sworn statements from FBI […]
FirstEnergy said it bribed a regulator for $4.3 million. Here’s how it worked.
FirstEnergy admitted in court documents last week it paid the state’s top utility regulator $4.3 million to use his perch to save the company hundreds of millions via friendly administrative rulings. The company’s allegation against Sam Randazzo, former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, came in a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. […]
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 […]
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” […]
House leadership weighs political fate of their indicted colleague
Nearly a year since state Rep. Larry Householder was arrested on public corruption charges, four rank-and-file lawmakers argued their case to Ohio House leadership Thursday that it’s the House’s duty to purge Householder from the chamber he once controlled. The lawmakers — two Republicans and two Democrats — introduced separate but similar resolutions last month […]
Feds seize records from Ohio utility tied to bailout, corruption scandal
An Ohio utility announced Tuesday it’s cooperating with a federal subpoena seeking records related to a massive bailout to coal and nuclear plants that’s now at the center of a public corruption prosecution. American Electric Power — the largest shareholder in a cooperative that owns two coal-fired plants that will receive an estimated $700 million […]
House reps try to force out indicted Republican; most of GOP stays silent
The quest to expel a Republican lawmaker who was criminally accused in what’s described as the largest public corruption scandal in state history gained new life Wednesday as lawmakers launched bipartisan efforts aimed at his ouster. Two House Democrats — Jeff Crossman, of Parma, and Michele Lepore-Hagan, of Youngstown — triggered the action Tuesday after […]
House leader ducks questions about indicted Republican keeping seat
Five men were charged. Four cases remain open. Three plea deals have been signed. Two alleged conspirators might cooperate with federal prosecutors. But only one man, Rep. Larry Householder, R-Glenford, continues to shape state law and draw a taxpayer funded salary of roughly $62,000, even under shadow of a racketeering indictment described by prosecutors as […]
Consumer advocate again demanding independent probe of FirstEnergy
Ohio's official consumer advocate is again asking that regulators mount an independent investigation into whether a Northern Ohio utility improperly used ratepayer funds to fuel what federal prosecutors called the biggest bribery scandal in state history.
Unidentified Ohio House rep gave FBI texts, testimony against Speaker in bribery case
The state representative wanted to explain his opposition to bailing out two failing nuclear power plants owned by FirstEnergy Solutions. A high-powered lobbyist, who federal prosecutors allege was involved in a $61 million racketeering scheme operated by the Speaker of the House and others in his “enterprise” to pass the bailout, wasn’t having it. “No […]