Cleveland Plain Dealer: Federal charges describe elaborate scheme, bankrolled by FirstEnergy, to corrupt Ohio politics and secure nuclear bailout

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A down-and-out state lawmaker who needed money to bankroll a political comeback. Powerful Columbus lobbyists. And a utility company with “Monopoly money” to spend on a plan to push through a bailout for two failing nuclear power plants.

Federal charging documents unsealed Tuesday describe how the company, FirstEnergy, spent $60 million to get House Speaker Larry Householder and his favored candidates elected, securing in return a $1.3 billion bailout, paid for by Ohio ratepayers. The morning arrest of Householder, an aide and three lobbyists who helped him sent shock waves through Ohio political circles.

“It is a shocking day: The only thing that is clear to me is that pay-to-play is rampant in Ohio,” said Catherine Turcer of the government watchdog group, Common Cause Ohio. “Utility money is the grease of the machine of the Statehouse.”