hb 6
Ohio House Bill 6 scandal settlement payments coming soon, but isn’t over yet
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Ohioans are starting to receive notices that they are eligible to […]
DOJ asks regulators to back off investigation into FirstEnergy bribery case
Federal prosecutors who brought a sweeping criminal case against FirstEnergy Corp. and Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder are now asking state regulators to hold off on their own investigations into the matter. In a letter to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Kenneth L. Parker, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, asked […]
DeWine once said he’d let the courts decide. Now, maybe not so much
Just after he signed a bill dramatically restricting abortion on April 11, 2019, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine expressed great respect for the courts and the rule of law. But more than three years later — in a case involving Republican gerrymandering — DeWine’s staff seems to be saying he doesn’t have to listen to the […]
Texts, calendars, emails link DeWine to FirstEnergy’s bribery scandal
Gov. Mike DeWine and his administration played a hands-on role passing an allegedly pay-for-play nuclear bailout and appointing an industry-friendly regulator who has since been accused of taking a $4.3 million bribe, documents and messages show. Calendar records show DeWine, a Republican, met repeatedly to discuss energy policy with FirstEnergy Corp. officials and at least […]
Whaley introduces plan to right the wrongs of energy scandal, spur renewable investments
Democratic nominee for Ohio governor Nan Whaley rolled out a climate agenda Tuesday that emphasizes fighting corruption and investing in renewable energy. The announcement comes less than a week after U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WV, abandoned long running negotiations to include climate change provisions in a Democratic budget deal. That retreat puts greater emphasis on […]
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 […]