Consumer advocate wants to know where utility got $60M from in alleged bribery scandal

Ohio’s official utility watchdog wants to know where Akron-based FirstEnergy got the $60 million that federal prosecutors say fueled the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history.

The Office of Ohio Consumers’ Counsel on Tuesday evening filed several motions with the Public Utilities Commission:

• A request for an investigation and a management audit of FirstEnergy.
• A requirement that the company show that it hadn’t misused consumer money to support the passage of a nuclear bailout.
• And that the regulator reopen a probe into how FirstEnergy spent money intended to upgrade the electricity grid.

In July, the U.S. Attorney’s office charged then-House Speaker, Larry Householder, R-Glenford, in an alleged scheme to funnel FirstEnergy money through 509(c)(4) “dark money” groups in a corrupt effort to elect supportive lawmakers and make Householder speaker.

The feds say the goal was to pass House Bill 6, a $1.3 billion bailout that went primarily to two failing nuclear power plants, but also subsidized two failing coal-powered generators. In addition, the money was used to fund a xenophobic campaign to stop a voter repeal of HB 6 and to line the pockets of Householder and his alleged conspirators, federal officials said.

Read more: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/09/10/consumer-advocate-wants-to-know-where-utility-got-60m-from-in-alleged-bribery-scandal/