hb 6
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 […]
Never needed? Senate president predicts little opposition to nuclear bailout repeal
A billion-dollar nuclear subsidy was the subject of an intense fight in 2019 and great controversy since. But the president of the Ohio Senate this week predicted that a repeal will make it through the House, Senate and that Gov. Mike DeWine will sign it. The reason: The company that owns the nuclear reactors no […]
DeWine aide’s organization was link to now-guilty dark money group
Dan McCarthy, a top aide to Gov. Mike DeWine, hasn’t explained what he thought the point was of the millions funneling through a dark money group he founded and into another at the heart of a huge corruption scandal that has rocked Ohio. He did say, however, that he had no reason to believe it […]
Legislators consider guns, abortion, HB 6 repeal and health department powers in last scheduled sessions
Update: At 10:45 a.m. Thursday, the Senate President announced the body could convene as needed, meaning Thursday might not be the last day of the legislative session. More guns. Fewer abortions. Delaying a nuclear bailout repeal and weakening the health department. With one official legislative day remaining in Ohio’s 133rd General Assembly, Ohio lawmakers have […]
Bankruptcy judge orders lobbyists to explain their role in HB 6
A federal judge handling the bankruptcy of a company involved in an allegedly corrupt nuclear bailout has ordered a prominent law firm to explain its role in the affair. The firm, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, served both as lead bankruptcy counsel to the company receiving the $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout and as […]
FirstEnergy firings prompt regulatory audit in nuclear bailout scandal
It slipped under the radar last week, but on the day after the presidential election the Public Utility Commission of Ohio ordered a management audit of Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. to determine whether it abided by separation rules when it spun off its nuclear reactors in 2016.
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 […]