House Bill 6
Newly revealed texts suggest regulator knew rate hike was improper
More evidence emerged Friday that Ohioans for years have faced questionable utility increases that were granted out of possibly dubious motives. On June 19, 2019, FirstEnergy’s leaders were furiously pushing what would later be called one of the biggest bribery and money laundering schemes in Ohio history. The same day, the Ohio Supreme Court struck […]
Gov. DeWine is invested in Intel. But he won’t say how much
As Ohio negotiates almost a $2 billion incentive package with electronic chip maker Intel, Gov. Mike DeWine owns stock in the company, according to ethics disclosures that were due on Monday. However, the governor declined to say much about the investment beyond the very general information that is required under Ohio ethics law. Intel in […]
Dark money helped utilities subsidize coal plants, delaying climate action at ratepayers’ expense
This story originated from the Energy News Network and Eye on Ohio and is part of ‘Climate & Democracy,’ a series from the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now. It has been three years since Ohio lawmakers first introduced the power plant bailout legislation that is now at the heart of the largest corruption case […]
Ohio Bribery Scandal Hits Home in Md. — and Utility Customers May Be Footing the Bill
Two summers ago, the powerful speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and four of his political associates were arrested in a high-profile bribery scandal. The aftershocks are still being felt in Maryland. It’s a scandal of breathtaking proportions and has had far-reaching consequences in Ohio and beyond. Larry Householder (R), then the House speaker, […]
First Energy dissolution? An historic opportunity to remove key player in corrupt political culture
We are out of time. Scientists are running out of words strong enough to convey the civilization-crushing urgency. The world’s science community just issued a frighteningly stark warning: “Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a livable future.” UN Secretary General Guterres: ”I have seen […]
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 […]
Economists pan Ohio coal subsidies
Coal subsidies passed in 2019 as part of a historically corrupt energy law are of no help to the state’s economy, the vast majority of a panel of academic economists said in a survey that was released Monday. Of the 22 economists responding, 21 disagreed with the proposition that “subsidies for coal plants paid for […]
Long-time DeWine friend lobbied for corporation accused of fraud
Many Ohioans were scratching their heads earlier this month. The administration of Gov. Mike DeWine had just restarted a massive contract with Centene Corp. Only six months earlier, Attorney General Dave Yost agreed to accept $88.3 million from the company to settle claims that it had defrauded the state’s Medicaid program of tens of millions […]
After scandal broke, FirstEnergy lobbyist pushed DeWine on “covid response”
On Sept. 23, 2020, McKenzie K. Davis, a lobbyist with the Success Group, registered to lobby the administration of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on “covid response.” The timing is curious because only six weeks earlier, federal authorities announced they’d arrested then-Speaker Larry Householder and four associates in what they said was “likely the largest bribery […]
Ohio Democrats focusing HB 6 scandal attention on Gov. DeWine
In the year after the House Bill 6 scandal first broke in July 2020, much of the focus was on state Rep. Larry Householder. Householder has since been booted from the legislature and awaits trial. Attention is shifting further toward Gov. Mike DeWine as the investigation continues to develop. The governor has not been accused […]
Householder alleged to have promoted FirstEnergy interests during Trump roundtable
Facing serious financial trouble and pushing for a federal bailout, the FirstEnergy Corporation saw opportunity in August 2018 when President Donald Trump announced a trip to Ohio. The Akron-based company wanted someone to make the case to Trump in person, so it turned to a reliable political ally: Larry Householder. The Perry County Republican’s alleged […]