hb 6
To reclaim Ohioans’ historical power, First Energy’s corporate charter should be revoked
The illegalities connected to FirstEnergy Corporation in its bribery scheme to pass House Bill 6 (HB 6) continue to surface, most recently its improper use of ratepayer money to fund dark money efforts totaling $70.9 million. Several individuals have already pleaded guilty for their role in the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history. Former Ohio […]
DeWine can’t run from energy bailout bribery scandal as dirty laundry keeps piling up
Follow the money. Its corrupting influence runs through all the great scandals piling up in Ohio under Republican rule. From the biggest online charter school rip-off of tax dollars to the largest public corruption indictment in state history, money has paved the way to epic wrongdoing under GOP management. Find out who in Columbus is […]
Campaign finance and pay-to-play corruption is also destroying the American Republic
Gerrymandered rigging of district lines to guarantee political party power is not the only thing posing an existential threat to the American Republic. It goes hand-in-hand with a system of campaign finance that allows for massive pay-to-play corruption infecting government. Earlier this week the Ohio Capital Journal published an investigation into findings of immediate jeopardy […]
Ohio voters who care about democracy must challenge Statehouse autocracy
“Once you accept that you have undemocratic statehouses attacking democracy every week and all you do is play defense on some of those attacks, you have literally set yourself up for guaranteed failure.” David Pepper, former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, has an urgent message for every pro-democracy Ohioan: Go on the offense with […]
“You’re fired.” Dem gov. candidate Cranley promises to clean house at PUCO
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful John Cranley is promising a scorched earth response to Ohio’s HB 6 scandal: fire every member of the public utilities commission. The former Cincinnati mayor contends a clean slate is the only way to restore trust in the Pubic Utilities Commission of Ohio, or PUCO, and he has additional reforms in mind […]
Environmental groups tried to warn DeWine not to appoint regulator accused in scandal
Late last year, as his administration was plunging deeper into a scandal over a nuclear bailout, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he supported keeping the billion-dollar ratepayer subsidy even though the original deal creating it was part of a $61 million bribery and money-laundering scheme. The governor said he supported scrapping the law creating the […]
Gov. DeWine doesn’t seem interested in holding staff and allies accountable in bribery scandal
Nothing to see here. Remain calm. All is well. No big deal. Everybody knew. That appears to be Gov. Mike DeWine’s reaction to the public finding out he appointed a FirstEnergy consultant to regulate utilities in Ohio the company now admits paying $4.3 million to do their bidding. As the fallout from the $61 million […]
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 […]
Nearly a year after a racketeering indictment, Ohio House expels Householder
The Ohio House voted Wednesday to expel Larry Householder, arrested on charges of public corruption nearly one year ago, from the chamber his Republican — and even some Democratic — colleagues thrice elected him to control. The expulsion could mark the end of Householder’s decades-long political career, which has included a previous tenure as speaker […]
After bailing out AEP’s plants, lawmakers returned its campaign checks, records show
Records show Ohio state politicians refunded nearly $50,000 in recent months to a political action committee of American Electric Power, a beneficiary of a massive coal-fired power plant bailout via scandal-tainted legislation enacted last year. Nine state senators and two House representatives, all Republican, returned a total of $19,500 in campaign contributions to an AEP […]
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 […]
U.S. attorney departs, but HB 6 investigation is far from over
The cruel fortunes of politics mean that David M. DeVillers stopped being the top federal law enforcement official for Southern Ohio on Sunday. But the attorney who last July announced the arrest of then-House Speaker Larry Householder, last week said the investigation that led to the arrest isn’t going anywhere. The scandal surrounding what DeVillers said […]