Posted on 07/24/2021 6:59:08 PM PDT by CheshireTheCat
The mammoth scandal surrounding a 2019 energy bailout appeared to creep closer on Thursday to the administration of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
FirstEnergy said in a deferred prosecution agreement that the man DeWine appointed to lead the Public Utility Commission of Ohio took a $4.3 million payment and then acted on behalf of the Akron-based power company instead of as the state’s top regulator.
That man, Sam Randazzo, has resigned.
But FirstEnergy also helped control a 501(c)(4) “dark-money” group started by a senior DeWine aide while he was still a FirstEnergy lobbyist, the agreement showed. The company passed a torrent of money through the secretive group as part of a successful $61 million effort to buy a $1.3 billion, ratepayer-funded bailout, the document FirstEnergy signed off on said.
While Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel slammed the dark money group, DeWine and the aide, Legislative Affairs Director Dan McCarthy, didn’t respond to requests for comment. DeWine has staunchly defended McCarthy since the scandal broke almost exactly a year ago.
Patel held a press conference in Cincinnati on Thursday to announce that his office had entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with FirstEnergy. The company will pay $230 million and, if it lives up to the terms of the agreement, will have a charge of conspiracy dismissed.
Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, has been charged in the case. He was stripped last year of his speakership and he was ejected from the House earlier this year.
Two of Householder’s associates charged in the case have pleaded guilty and a third, Neil Clark, took his own life in March....
(Excerpt) Read more at ohiocapitaljournal.com ...
For your consideration.
Oh, goody. My electricity payments at work.
I’m so sick and tired of all this corruption. Time to just slash the budgets and their power at least by half. Repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments already!
Not surprising from Dick DeWine.
DeWine is a Republican, but acts like a Democrat so I’m not surprised.
Everyone of them are scumbags and need to dealt with.
OHIO PING!
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FirstEnergy admits it controlled dark money group started by DeWine aide
Ohio Capital Journal ^ | July 23, 2021 | MARTY SCHLADEN
Posted on 7/24/2021, 9:59:08 PM by CheshireTheCat
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