Husted was at the center of Ohio’s FirstEnergy bribery scandal. The scandal, which dragged down several Republican leaders in Ohio, centered on FirstEnergy which bribed elected officials to support legislation. FirstEnergy funneled $1 million to Husted’s failed gubernatorial campaign. Texts revealed that Husted had direct involvement in pushing H.B. 6 legislation that was tied to the scandal.
FirstEnergy Bribed Several Republican Politicians To Pass A Bailout For Two Nuclear Powerplants. According to the Enquirer, “The investigation into Ohio's largest corruption scheme is all about money and power. The owner of two nuclear power plants in northern Ohio wanted a $1 billion bailout to keep its plants running. A Republican lawmaker hoping to make a comeback wanted help returning to power. The result, federal investigators say, was a nearly $61 million bribery scheme to elect Perry County Rep. Larry Householder to lead the Ohio House of Representatives, pass House Bill 6 to subsidize the nuclear plants and defend that law against a ballot initiative to block it.” [Enquirer, 6/3/21]
2020: FBI Arrested Householder And Allies. According to the Enquirer, “ July 21, 2020: FBI arrests Householder, Clark, Borges, Longstreth and lobbyist Juan Cespedes based on an 80-page criminal complaint.” [Enquirer, 6/3/21]
Headline: FirstEnergy Made Secret $1 Million Payment For ‘Husted Campaign’ In 2017, Documents Show [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]
FirstEnergy, On The Onset Of The FirstEnergy Scandal, Donated $1 Million In “Dark Money” To Freedom Frontier Which Was Meant For Husted’s Campaign. According to Cleveland.Com, “FirstEnergy Corp., at the onset of what would become one of the biggest public corruption schemes in state history, gave a $1 million ‘dark money’ contribution to a nonprofit backing Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, new records show. The contribution, which has not previously been reported, came from the company in 2017 to Freedom Frontier, a political 501(c)(4) nonprofit that can accept unlimited funds from corporations without disclosing the source. FirstEnergy’s internal records classify the payment as for the “Husted campaign.” In 2017, Husted was a top contender for the Republican nomination to become Ohio governor before he agreed to the join the ticket of now-Gov. Mike DeWine.” [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]
The Payment Was Revealed During The Deposition Of A FirstEnergy Executive Testifying. According to Cleveland.Com, “ The seven-figure payment was revealed in the 2022 deposition of a FirstEnergy executive testifying in a lawsuit brought by shareholders. The shareholder lawsuit is one of several legal tentacles growing out of a bribery scandal that sent a former Ohio House speaker to prison and resulted in the indictments of the state’s former top utility regulator. Joseph Storsin, a company vice president, testified on FirstEnergy’s behalf.” [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]
2018: FirstEnergy Officials Met Privately With Husted At A Republican Governors Association Fundraiser Where After FirstEnergy Donated To The RGA Who Supported DeWine And Husted. According to Cleveland.Com, “ On Oct. 10, 2018, FirstEnergy officials met privately with DeWine and Husted at a Republican Governors Association fundraiser, according to testimony from Householder’s trial. The next day, the company wrote the RGA a $500,000 check, tax records show. The RGA spent about $1.7 million supporting DeWine and Husted in the weeks that followed, records show.” [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]
The Day Husted Dropped Out Of The Gubernatorial Race, Dowling Sent Him A Uplifting Message And Husted Thanked Dowling For His Friendship. According to Ohio Capital Journal, “On the day he announced he was pulling out of the race to join DeWine’s administration, Dowling sent an uplifting message, saying he was proud of Husted. ‘Your support means a lot to me. I admire you and value your friendship. I hope I didn’t disappoint you, but it is the right decision for all concerned,’ Husted texted Dowling.” [Ohio Capital Journal, 6/24/24]
Headline: New Texts Allegedly Show Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted Leading FirstEnergy’s Push For House Bill 6 [Ohio Capital Journal, 6/24/24]
Husted Repeatedly Intervened To Ensure The Passage Of H.B. 6. According to Clevealnd.Com, “Along with a money trail, records stemming from the investigations show DeWine and Husted repeatedly intervening to ensure Randazzo’s appointment and pass a nuclear bailout, which DeWine eventually signed.” [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]
Randazzo, Despite Warnings Of His Connection To FirstEnergy, Was Appointed As Ohio Utilities Chair And Credited Husted For Talking Him Into Applying. According to Cleveland.Com, “DeWine appointed Randazzo to the job weeks later, despite a warning from a former aide regarding Randazzo’s alleged ‘opaque and undisclosed’ ties to FirstEnergy. Randazzo, according to the Associated Press, publicly credited Husted and DeWine’s chief of staff Laurel Dawson with talking him into applying.” [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]
After Randazzo’s Nomination Was In Danger Due To Unearth Financial Records Tying Him To FirstEnergy, Husted Performed “Battlefield Triage” To Save The Nomination. According to Cleveland.Com, “ Other records released through the various investigations show that DeWine and Husted performed “battlefield triage” to save Randazzo’s nomination after an advocacy researcher first unearthed financial records tying FirstEnergy to Randazzo’s companies.” [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]
Records Showed That Husted Played A Role In Getting H.B. 6 Passed. According to Ohio Capital Journal, “ Once in office, records show that it was Husted, not DeWine, who allegedly helped lead the charge for the bailout bill. Dowling emailed Jones before H.B. 6 passed in 2019, saying the governor ‘left the details of H.B. 6 to others — John [sic] Husted and Danny.’ Dan McCarthy was DeWine’s legislative director after having been a lobbyist for FirstEnergy.” [Ohio Capital Journal, 6/24/24]
Husted Lobbied State Lawmakers To Extend The Terms Of FirstEnergy’s Bailout. According to Cleveland.Com, “And texts from Jones and Dowling mention Husted lobbying state lawmakers to extend the terms of FirstEnergy’s bailout.” [Cleveland.Com, 4/10/24]