{"id":472,"date":"2026-02-03T06:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T11:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/?post_type=resource&#038;p=472"},"modified":"2026-03-18T18:31:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T22:31:03","slug":"a-cycle-of-corruption-a-timeline-of-the-householder-hb6-scandal","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/ko\/resources\/\ubd80\ud328\uc758-\uc21c\ud658-\uac00\uad6c\uc8fc-hb6-\uc2a4\uce94\ub4e4\uc758-\ud0c0\uc784\ub77c\uc778\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud558\uc6d0 \ubc95\uc548 6\ud638 \uc2a4\uce94\ub4e4 \ud0c0\uc784\ub77c\uc778: \uc624\ud558\uc774\uc624\uc8fc \ucd5c\ub300 \uaddc\ubaa8 \ubd80\ud328 \uc0ac\uac74"},"template":"","class_list":["post-472","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry","resource_type-report"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"\"A Cycle of Corruption\": A Timeline of the Householder HB6 Scandal. As watchdogs for government transparency, Common Cause Ohio continues to catalog the scandal, compiling key events and verdicts in this growing timeline. ","featured_image":"","resource_type":221,"authors":"","related_issues":[423,105,92],"related_work":false,"location":38},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":"","name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>House Bill 6 Scandal Timeline: A Cycle of Corruption in Ohio<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The House Bill 6 scandal is the largest public corruption case in Ohio history. Utility companies secretly spent millions of dollars to influence elections and pass a law that forced Ohio residents to pay for failing power plants. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This timeline shows what happened, who was involved, and how the scandal unfolded from 2019 to today.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>What Is the House Bill 6 Scandal?<\/b>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 6 was passed in 2019 in Ohio.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Utility companies secretly spent about $60 million to influence lawmakers.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The law forced Ohio customers to pay for failing nuclear and coal plants.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was convicted of corruption.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohio residents paid more than $500 million because of the law.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Investigations and court cases are still ongoing.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The House Bill 6 scandal\u2014the biggest in Ohio history\u2014was a $60 million scheme by FirstEnergy and other utility companies to buy seats and votes in the Ohio House to secure passage of a billion dollar bailout of failing nuclear and coal plants in Ohio and Indiana. The scheme was \u201csuccessful\u201d in that the money helped elect supportive legislators who then voted to pass HB6. Parts of the corrupt bill \u2013 the subsidies for aging coal plants owned by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ovec.com\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohio Valley Electric Cooperative<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 remained law until August 14, 2025. From 2020 until August 2025,\u00a0 Ohio utility customers propped up these failed plants, to the tune of over $445,000 per day. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.occ.ohio.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The total cost of the subsidies paid by the Ohio ratepayers is more than $500 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the conviction of former Speaker of the Ohio House Larry Householder and former Chair of the Republican Party Matt Borges on charges of racketeering and bribery, the investigations into the HB6 scandal continue. Such a purposefully complex bribery scheme takes time to unravel.<\/span>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2026<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>February 3, 2026: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trial against Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling kicked off with opening statements. The former FirstEnergy executives are facing charges of paying a $4.3 million bribe to the former chair of the Public Utilities Commission Sam Randazzo to help pass House Bill 6 and garner favorable rulings for the utility. Jones and Dowling face 11 charges, including racketeering, conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering. Jurors will not hear about FirstEnergy 2021 guilty plea or about the prosecution of former Speaker of the House Larry Householder during testimony. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UEclJ1mI3k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to watch the trial via Zoom.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>January 28, 2026: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.ohio.gov\/clerk\/ecms\/#\/caseinfo\/2026\/0118\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Akron Beacon Journal, The Cincinnati Enquirer, and The Columbus Dispatch filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court<\/span> <\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">challenging\u00a0 portions of Judge Susan Baker Ross\u2019 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1mFjBt5HN_sb5uWM6CIxVWiiizs1qL7Cm\/view\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Media Participation order<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>January 27, 2026:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news5cleveland.com\/news\/politics\/ohio-politics\/firstenergy-public-corruption-trial-begins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jury selection began<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling\u2019s trial<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>January 13, 2026:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling filed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/26471426-amended-witness-list-for-former-firstenergy-ceo-charles-jones-and-lobbyist-michael-dowling-in-state-criminal-case-in-ohio-january-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a new list of defense witnesses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the court including: Gov. Mike DeWine, US Senator Jon Husted, former State Rep. Bill Seitz,\u00a0 Public Utilities Commissioner Daniel Conway and\u00a0 former FirstEnergy CEOs Tony Alexander and Steve Strah.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>January 7, 2026: <\/b>The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approved FirstEnergy\u2019s\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/links-1.govdelivery.com\/CL0\/https:%2F%2Fdis.puc.state.oh.us%2FDocumentRecord.aspx%3FDocID=e9b91ce4-e43a-4d31-91b6-c9b32340b107%26utm_medium=email%2B%26utm_source=govdelivery\/1\/0100019b9a454da1-bdd40f26-f021-4c35-a794-32caade13b43-000000\/5n8Gylwc7aqR-bdLqu0g2RhjvLyNPVL1p2ONacf7Xq8=439\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">settlement agreement<\/a> with the Ohio Consumer Counsel and others as a result of the House Bill 6 bribery scandal. The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, Ohio Edison Company, and The Toledo Edison Company will provide $249 million in restitution to customers. The companies will provide an additional $20 million to fund low-income programs. They will also refund $6.6 million (plus an $6.2 million in interest) for improper charges and provide $5 million in restitution to the Retail Energy Supply Association.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>January 6, 2026: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judge Susan Baker Ross <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jan-6-decision.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">denies<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling\u2019s motion to exclude expert testimony from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mojolaw.com\/attorneys\/george-jonson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">George D. Johnson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>January 5, 2026: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/clerkweb.summitoh.net\/PublicSite\/Documents\/vola0000005900004030.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judge Susan Baker Ross granted Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling\u2019s motion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to exclude the testimony of Ohio Consumer Counsel Maureen Willis.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2025<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>December 22, 2025:<\/strong> Former Speaker of the Ohio House Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2026\/01\/larry-householder-matt-borges-ask-us-supreme-court-to-review-cases-at-heart-of-their-hb6-convictions.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit the definition of \u201ccorruption.\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Both <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/25\/25-756\/390091\/20251222123310007_25-%20Petition.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Householder's writ to the court<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/DocketPDF\/25\/25-757\/390140\/20251222175802149_25-%20Petition.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borges' writ<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> argue there was no explicit quid pro quo and ask the court to revisit decisions from 1991 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/1990\/89-1918\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McCormick v. United States<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and 1992 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/1991\/90-6105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evans v. United States<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>December 19, 2025: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/2025\/12\/19\/firstenergy-agrees-to-nearly-276m-settlement-in-hb-6-utility-cases\/87852249007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy reached a deal with the Ohio Consumers Counsel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 as well as Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, Interstate Gas Supply, the Ohio Manufacturers\u2019 Association Energy Group and others\u2013 related to the House Bill 6 bribery scandal. If the Public Utilities Commission approves the settlement, nearly $276 million will be returned to FirstEnergy's Ohio customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>December 18, 2025: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beaconjournal.com\/story\/business\/2025\/12\/18\/june-trial-date-set-for-state-charges-against-ex-ohio-house-speaker-larry-householder-house-bill-6\/87828597007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cuyahoga County County Common Pleas Judge Kevin J. Kelley denied Larry Householder\u2019s request to dismiss state charges<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> against him and set the trial for June 8. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov\/Media\/News-Releases\/March-2024\/Ex-Ohio-House-Speaker-Larry-Householder-Indicted-o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The state has charged Householder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with ten felony counts including the misuse of campaign funds and ethics violations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>December 12, 2025:<\/strong>\u00a0 Judge Susan Baker Ross <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Dec-12-decision.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">denied a request by the state<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to exclude former Public Utilities Commission Chair the late Sam Randazzo\u2019s legal work for FirstEnergy in the trial of former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling. Also, she <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/clerkweb.summitoh.net\/PublicSite\/Documents\/vola00000058000012E9.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">denied the defense\u2019s request<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to exclude evidence from the Office of the Ohio Attorney General and the Organized Crime Investigations Commission.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>December 4, 2025:<\/strong> The Ohio Elections Commission <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2025\/12\/weak-slap-on-the-wrist-elections-commission-fines-hb-6-repeal-group-just-400-for-violations.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fined Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013the ballot committee that was unsuccessful in gathering adequate signatures for a referendum of House Bill 6\u2013 $400. The committee failed to report money they spent to repeal HB 6.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\"><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>November 20, 2025:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net\/CIK-0001031296\/dda501b3-f45d-4cdf-a82a-17fb8a4283c4.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FirstEnergy announced<\/a> that its Ohio utilities will file their next rate case in early 2026. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/136\/hb15\">House Bill 15 <\/a>passed in May 2025 means that these cases before the Public Utilities Commission will move through the process more quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>November 19, 2025:<\/strong> The Public Utilities Commission found FirstEnergy violated Ohio law, PUCO regulations, and PUCO orders. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/puco.ohio.gov\/news\/puco-orders-firstenergy-utilities-pay-250-million-penalty-issue-customer-restitution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Commission ordered FirstEnergy to pay a combined $250.70 million <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in restitution to customers and civil forfeitures.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>November 6, 2025: <\/strong>The Ohio Elections Commission held a hearing on cases surrounding Householder and the House Bill 6 scandal.\u00a0 The complaints are similar to the federal charges, but there is an additional allegation that Larry Householder illegally used $900,000 in campaign funds to pay for his defense. The Ohio Secretary of State filed complaints following the July 2020 arrests <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1rpN07yEvFobw5wx7DpAudSuEQz-0yRrj\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(2020G-015<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1dZVwxBZhx6sSrYHbZt0fVcQUoMDuRfnA\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020S-003<\/a> plus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohiosos.gov\/globalassets\/media-center\/news\/2021\/2021-03-05.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">amendment<\/a>, and\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1vBuIuO46nGbMM5Egv9c4GPx3NMqWQT3U\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020S-004)<\/a>.\u00a0 The Attorney General filed an additional complaint (<a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1MSRteSoAm47YdmwKYNWd1qxW1mTQiX21\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2020G-025<\/a>). \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/signalohio.org\/ohio-elections-panel-delays-five-year-old-case-against-former-house-speaker-larry-householder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The commission decided to delay ruling<\/a> on the election violations until November 20.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>October 31, 2025:<\/strong> At <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beaconjournal.com\/story\/news\/courts\/2025\/10\/31\/defense-prosecutors-in-hb-6-case-clash-over-potential-testimony\/87011584007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a pretrial hearing in the bribery case <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">against former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling, the defendants\u2019 attorney argued against permitting Ohio Consumer Council Maureen Willis to testify in their trial. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/signalohio.org\/ohio-firstenergy-ceo-bribery-trial-defendants-demand-secrecy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The defense has asked Judge Susan Ross<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to block the evidence from Householder\u2019s trial and throw Attorney General Dave Yost off the case. Yost attended the hearing but didn\u2019t speak.\u00a0 After the hearing in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/signalohio.org\/ohio-firstenergy-ceo-bribery-trial-defendants-demand-secrecy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an interview with Signal<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yost said \u201cThis is the corruption case of the century.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>October 9, 2025: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2025\/10\/ex-ohio-gop-chair-matt-borges-convicted-of-role-in-hb6-scandal-leaves-prison-early.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt Borges was released from prison<\/a> after serving less than half of the sentence he received for his role in the House Bill 6 referendum.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>October 6, 2025:<\/strong> A panel of US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals judges<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov\/opinions.pdf\/25a0272p-06.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> overturned a decision ordering the release of FirstEnergy two internal investigations <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">into the utility\u2019s involvement in the House Bill 6 scandal.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>August 26, 2025:<\/strong> Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and former FirstEnergy Vice President of External Affairs Michael Dowling<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toledoblade.com\/local\/courts\/2025\/08\/27\/prosecution-wants-jury-to-see-past-randazzo-side-deal\/stories\/20250827098\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> filed an argument urging Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Susan Baker Ross to block evidence <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that Sam Randazzo allegedly worked out a secret side deal with Duke Energy. Randazzo died as the result of suicide in April 2024. The state contends that Randazzo learned from the earlier side deal how to disguise a consulting agreement with FirstEnergy.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2021\/07\/29\/firstenergy-said-it-bribed-a-regulator-for-4-3-million-heres-how-it-worked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> FirstEnergy Corp. admitted that they paid a $4.3 million bribe to Randazzo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> just before he was appointed to serve on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. FirstEnergy originally described the $4.3 million settling a consulting contract.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>August 14, 2025: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/136\/hb15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 15<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine \u2013 went into effect finally ending subsidies for coal plants in Ohio and Indiana. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.occ.ohio.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The total cost of the subsidies for aging coal plants owned by the Ohio Valley Electric Cooperative (OVEC)\u00a0 is more than $500 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These subsidies were paid for by Ohio consumers.\u00a0 American Electric Power (AEP) is OVEC\u2019s largest stockholder. Other stockholders include Dayton Power Light and FirstEnergy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>August 4, 2025:<\/strong> The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OCC-8.4.2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ohio Consumers\u2019 Counsel<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ohio-Manufacturers-Association-Energy-Group-8.4.2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ohio Manufacturers\u2019 Association Energy Group<\/a> filed briefs with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio that call for FirstEnergy to pay more than half a billion dollars for regulatory violations connected to House Bill 6.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>July 25, 2025: <\/strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/abc6onyourside.com\/resources\/pdf\/95b4fd75-46c1-483c-87e8-b9b1ac869b44-LARRYHOUSEHOLDER.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected<\/a> former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder\u2019s and former Ohio GOP Chair Matt Borges\u2019 request for a new hearing.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>July 21, 2025:<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dis.puc.state.oh.us\/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=8aca1a42-d5d7-44d7-9490-ee90b4736568\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy filed a brief<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio laying out their proposed consequences for their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2025\/07\/ohio-utility-regulators-near-decision-on-firstenergys-punishment-for-hb6-scandal.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">misdeeds<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which included: 1) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2022\/01\/audit-no-evidence-that-firstenergys-150m-per-year-grid-modernization-fee-was-used-for-intended-purpose.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">collecting more than $450 million from customers marked for modernizing the electric grid without tracking<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> how much of that money was actually used for its stated purpose, 2) using $6.6 million in ratepayer money for questionable payments primarily to Tony George, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2022\/08\/tony-george-revealed-to-be-individual-b-in-firstenergys-house-bill-6-agreement-with-prosecutors.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the businessman acting as a go-between with FirstEnergy and Larry Householder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 3) secretly giving more than $13 million \u2013 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2024\/02\/former-top-ohio-utility-regulator-skimmed-millions-from-secret-deals-between-utilities-and-large-companies-prosecutors-say.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">arranged by former Chair of the PUCO Sam Randazzo <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 to a group of industrial companies to drop their opposition to FirstEnergy\u2019s electric rate plan. Despite the serious nature of the wrongdoing, in their brief, FirstEnergy recommends that the PUCO \u201cforego punitive measures.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>June 30, 2025:<\/strong> Householder is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/06\/30\/larry-householder-wants-sixth-circuit-court-of-appeals-to-hear-him\/84334512007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seeking another opportunity for an appeal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from 6th Circuit Court. In May, a three judge panel upheld his conviction. Householder\u2019s attorneys say that the defense should have had a chance to challenge Judge Timothy Black\u2019s decision to dismiss a juror who refused to wear a mask. <\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>June 26, 2025: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/inbox\/post\/166341143\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt Borges began his final 100 days in federal prison<\/a>\u00a0for his role in the House Bill 6 scandal.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>June 25, 2025: <\/strong>Appearing as an expert witness for the Ohio Consumers\u2019 Counsel, former PUCO commissioner <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toledoblade.com\/local\/politics\/2025\/06\/25\/former-commissioner-testifies-that-penalties-are-in-order-for-firstenergy\/stories\/20250625129\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ashley Brown urged regulators to impose significant financial penalties<\/a>\u2014more than $75 million in forfeitures and a $456 million refund of the Distribution Modernization Rider, a charge on customers\u2019 bills. Brown is the founding executive director of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group <a href=\"https:\/\/dis.puc.state.oh.us\/DocumentRecord.aspx?DocID=3acb871f-d89a-47ff-8875-56fda69f4374\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Brown\u2019s May 2025 written testimony<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>June 23, 2025: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beaconjournal.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/06\/23\/ex-firstenergy-ceo-testifies-about-ohio-house-bill-6-bribery-scandal\/84257827007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Former FirstEnergy CEO Steve Strah defended House Bill 6<\/a>\u00a0saying that it was good for the company and customers at a Public Utilities Commission hearing. Strah denied knowledge of the $4.3 million payment to former PUCO chair the late Sam Randazzo and\u00a0 knowledge of wrongdoing despite signing FirstEnergy\u2019s deferred prosecution agreement. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.toledoblade.com\/local\/politics\/2025\/06\/23\/future-firstenergy-ceo-had-trust-confidence-fired-executive\/stories\/20250623112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strah says he had \"trust and confidence that Mike [Dowling] knew his job and that he was going about executing it.<\/a>\" Former FirstEnergy Vice Pres. Dowling is facing criminal charges.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>June 20, 2025:<\/strong> Former FirstEnergy lobbyist Ty Pine testified before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. He denied understanding why his face was included in\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jpelzer\/status\/1557792393549647873\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a graphic in which four faces were superimposed over the heads of Mount Rushmore presidents<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The graphic was captioned \u201cHB6. F*** anyone who ain\u2019t us.\u201d\u00a0 Faces on Mt. Rushmore from left to right: Ty Pines, former FirstEnergy VP Mike Dowling, former PUCO Chair Sam Randazzo, and the President of the Boich Companies Matt Evans. Pines received a $25,000 bonus after passage of House Bill 6 in 2019.\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-57305 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Screenshot-2026-03-17-201512.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"836\" height=\"564\" \/>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>June 13, 2025: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2025\/06\/16\/former-firstenergy-executive-sheds-light-on-hb-6-machinations-denies-culpability\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Former FirstEnergy executive Dennis Chack took the stand<\/a> to answer questions from attorneys representing consumers, manufacturers, and energy companies at a hearing of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Chack downplayed a text message from former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones that detailed the influence former PUCO Chair\u2013 the late Sam Randazzo\u2013 exerted on FirstEnergy\u2019s behalf. Additionally, Chack denied knowing the breadth of decisionmaking that commissioners engage in and that commissioners were prohibited from speaking about ongoing cases at the PUCO.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>May 29, 2025:<\/strong> Following President Trump\u2019s pardon of former Cincinnati City Council P.G. Sittenfeld, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/05\/29\/householder-lawyers-exploring-every-option-for-ex-speakers-release\/83918186007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Larry Householder\u2019s attorney Steve Bradley said that they planned to\u00a0 continue the appeal process. <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bradley didn\u2019t comment on whether Householder is seeking a pardon from Trump. Matt <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Borges' attorney Dennis Belli said he and his client are deciding whether to appeal the most recent decision. <\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>May 28, 2025:<\/strong> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/25957281-court-order-dismissing-charges-that-treated-firstenergy-as-victim-of-alleged-crimes-by-former-ceo-charles-jones-and-lobbyist-michael-dowling\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross determined<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that FirstEnergy should be treated by prosecutors <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as a party to<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than the<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> victim<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the alleged crimes committed by former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and lobbyist Mike Dowling.\u00a0 This decision is important because of the protections in the Ohio\u00a0 Constitution for victims called Marsy\u2019s Law.\u00a0 Additionally, the judge dismissed theft charges against Jones and Dowling because FirstEnergy admitted to participating in the bribery.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>May 28, 2025:<\/strong> <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dis.puc.state.oh.us\/CaseRecord.aspx?Caseno=17-0974&amp;link=DIVA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohio Consumers' Counsel sought subpoenas to compel testimony <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from six former FirstEnergy executives and lobbyists for a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio investigation into the House Bill 6 scandal. Those subpoenaed include former FirstEnergy CEO Steven Strah, former FirstEnergy Director of State Affair Ty Pines, and former Senior VP and Chief Legal Officer Robert Reffner. <\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>May 15, 2025:<\/strong> Governor Mike DeWine signed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/136\/hb15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 15<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which eliminates the subsidies for the Ohio Valley Electric Cooperative\u2019s coal plants \u2013 the last remnant of\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/133\/hb6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 6<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 HB6 was passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 23, 2019.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>May 6, 2025: <\/strong>A three-judge panel of the Sixth Circuit District Court of Appeals <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/05\/06\/appeals-court-upholds-housholder-borges-convictions-in-bribery-case\/81149473007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">upheld\u00a0 Householder\u2019s and Matt Borges\u2019 convictions<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>April 30, 2025:<\/strong> The Ohio General Assembly passed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/136\/hb15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 15<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which eliminates subsidies for the Ohio Valley Electric Cooperative\u2019s coal plants \u2013 the last remnant of the corrupt <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/133\/hb6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 6<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. HB6 was passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on July 23, 2019.\u00a0 <\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>April 25, 2025:<\/strong> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/local\/2025\/04\/25\/chuck-jones-michael-dowling-firstenergy-executives-criminal-case-trial-date\/83237332007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross set January 26, 2026 as the trial date<\/span><\/a> f<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and Vice President Mike Dowling.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>April 21, 2025:<\/strong> Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Brown <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/courts\/2025\/04\/25\/ohio-hb6-scandal-judge-orders-former-firstenergy-officials-to-testify\/83269405007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ordered former FirstEnergy lobbyists Joel Bailey, Justin Biltz and Ty Pine and former FirstEnergy executive Dennis Chack to answer questions before the Public Utilities Common of Ohio (PUCO)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Previously, they invoked their Fifth Amendment rights. The judge\u2019s order provides immunity from prosecution. Judge Brown served in the Ohio House of Representatives and in 2019 voted in favor of House Bill 6.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>April 15, 2025:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/04\/15\/documentary-on-ohios-house-bill-6-scandal-airs-tonight-on-hbo-max\/83086168007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HBO released the first of two documentaries exploring dark money.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u201cOhio Confidential\u201d focuses on the House Bill 6\/Householder scandal and includes interviews with former US Attorney David Devillers, former Chief Justice Maureen O\u2019Connor, veteran Statehouse reporter Laura Bischoff, and whistleblower Tyler Fehrman.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>April 10, 2025:<\/strong>\u00a0Common Pleas Judge Kevin Kelley <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/court-justice\/2025\/04\/householders-state-trial-pushed-to-nov-3-as-attorneys-spar-over-push-to-dismiss.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">postponed Householder\u2019s April 28 trial on state charges to November 3.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>February 5, 2025:<\/strong> Before a Sixth Circuit panel of judges, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.courthousenews.com\/disgraced-former-ohio-speaker-householder-appeals-racketeering-conviction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Larry Householder\u2019s attorney argued that his role in the bailout was merely \"politics as usual<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\"<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>January 17, 2025:<\/strong> The SEC announced that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/files\/litigation\/admin\/2025\/33-11356.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Electric Power\u2014which has managed to fly under the radar until now\u2014has agreed to pay $19 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because of their $1.2 million dark money payments in the corruption scheme as well as lies to investors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>January 17, 2025:<\/strong> Former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling were<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beaconjournal.com\/story\/news\/crime\/2025\/01\/17\/former-firstenergy-executives-charged-in-ohio-bribery-scheme\/77773047007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> indicted on federal racketeering charges<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>January 9, 2025:\u00a0<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/open\/2025\/01\/firstenergy-bribery-case-judge-rejects-defense-request-for-grand-jury-transcripts.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Judge rejects former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Mike Dowling\u2019s request for grand jury transcripts.<\/a><\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2024<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>December 3, 2024:<\/strong> Former Chair of the Public Utilities Commission <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beaconjournal.com\/story\/news\/courts\/2024\/12\/03\/house-bill-hb-6-shell-company-pleads-guilty-11-felonies-forfeit-sustainability-funding-alliance-ohio\/76743411007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sam Randazzo\u2019s shell company pleaded guilty for its role in enabling the secret payment of $4.3 million<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from FirstEnergy to Randazzo.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>November 18, 2024: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/signalakron.org\/2-ex-firstenergy-lobbyists-refuse-to-answer-questions-under-oath-in-states-hb-6-probe-scandal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two former lobbyists for FirstEnergy Joel Bailey and Justin Biltz pleaded the Fifth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during questioning by the Ohio Consumer Counsel in a state regulatory investigation by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>November 12, 2024:<\/strong>\u00a0 Larry Householder\u2019s attorney says that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2024\/11\/12\/lawyer-ex-ohio-speaker-larry-householder-seeks-pardon-from-trump\/76217946007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Householder will seek a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>October 15, 2024: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/news\/2024\/10\/householder-set-to-go-to-trial-in-cuyahoga-county-in-april.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Kevin Kelley scheduled Householder\u2019s trial on state charges<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including theft in office, aggravated theft, telecommunications fraud, money laundering and tampering with records for April 28, 2025.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>September 13, 2024: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statenews.org\/government-politics\/2024-09-13\/firstenergy-to-pay-100m-in-hb-6-settlement-with-sec-ex-ceo-to-face-civil-fraud-charges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy agrees to pay $100 million fine<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to settle charges from the SEC about the company\u2019s role in the Householder\/HB6 scheme. Chuck Jones still faces charges.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>September 12, 2024: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/enforcement-litigation\/litigation-releases\/lr-26105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed charges against Chuck Jones, former FirstEnergy CEO<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> alleging that Jones participated in the scheme to directly and indirectly provide Householder about $60 million to garner support for legislation to benefit FirstEnergy and misled investors.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>September 11, 2024:<\/strong> Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and former Senior Vice President of External Affairs Michael Dowling were <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beaconjournal.com\/story\/business\/2024\/09\/13\/securities-exchange-commission-sec-sues-firstenergy-ceo-chuck-jones-criminal-charges-hb6\/75203805007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">charged with bribery and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity in an amended complaint<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>July 12, 2024<\/strong>: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/open\/2024\/07\/firstenergy-loses-appeal-to-shield-internal-investigations-of-bribery-schemes-from-release.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy loses appeal to shield internal investigations of HB6 scheme.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> However, this decision didn\u2019t make these records immediately available to the public.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>August 26, 2024: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toledoblade.com\/local\/courts\/2024\/08\/26\/larry-householder-convicted-speakers-bribery-scheme-not-politics-argue\/stories\/20240826105\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prosecutors respond to Householder\u2019s appeal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: \"Householder could not have lawfully received millions of undisclosed dollars from FirstEnergy for campaign or election purposes. The FirstEnergy payments were akin to bags of cash or deposits into Householder\u2019s personal account that he could use for any purpose.\"<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>May 31, 2024:<\/strong> Larry Householder<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/bribery-ohio-speaker-householder-59c967447d53f1b72d6503cb17a7678b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pleads not guilty to state charges.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>April 19, 2024: <\/strong>Public records reveal that <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2024\/04\/19\/firstenergy-gave-2-5m-to-gop-governors-dark-money-group-backing-dewines-2018-bid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FirstEnergy gave $2.5M to Republican Governors Association<\/a>, a dark money group backing Mike DeWine\u2019s bid for governor.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>April 15, 2024:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2024\/04\/15\/ohio-lt-gov-husted-wont-say-if-he-knew-about-1m-dark-money-contribution\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lt. Gov. Jon Husted refuses to say<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if he knew about dark money contribution.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>April 10, 2024:<\/strong> Public records reveal that<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/open\/2024\/04\/firstenergy-made-secret-1-million-payment-for-husted-campaign-in-2017-documents-show.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> FirstEnergy made a secret $1 million payment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o a group to support Lt. Gov. Jon Husted\u2019s campaign.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>April 9, 2024: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/state\/2024\/04\/09\/ex-puco-chairman-sam-randazzo-accused-in-bribery-scheme-has-died\/73265991007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former PUCO chair Sam Randazzo died<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">likely as the result of suicide.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>March 24, 2024: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov\/Media\/News-Releases\/March-2024\/Ex-Ohio-House-Speaker-Larry-Householder-Indicted-o#:~:text=The%20state%20grand%20jury%20indictment,count%20of%20telecommunications%20fraud%20(F2)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Larry Householder indicted on state charges<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">including theft in office and campaign finance violations.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>February 28, 2024:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2024\/02\/28\/former-ohio-speaker-householder-files-appeal-says-bribe-payment-was-within-first-amendment-rights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former Ohio Speaker Householder files appeal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, says bribe payment was within First Amendment rights.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>February 12, 2024:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ideastream.org\/2024-02-12\/two-former-firstenergy-executives-randazzo-indicted-by-summit-county-grand-jury\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two former FirstEnergy executives, Randazzo indicted by Summit County grand jury.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-25197 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/OH_HB6_IEEFADiagram-1024x782.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"782\" \/>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2023<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li><strong>December 4, 2023: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdoh\/pr\/grand-jury-indicts-former-state-public-utilities-chairman-federal-bribery-embezzlement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Grand jury indicts former state public utilities chairman<\/a>, Sam Randazzo, for federal bribery, embezzlement crimes<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>June 29, 2023: <\/strong>Larry Householder is sentenced to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/press-release\/common-cause-ohio-statement-larry-householder-20-year-sentence\/\">20 years in prison<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>March 9, 2023: <\/strong>Larry Householder and Matt Borges were found guilty of racketeering (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/democracy-wire\/transparency-is-key-householder-trial-transcripts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trial transcripts<\/a>).<\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>Jan. 20, 2023: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/court-justice\/2022\/03\/federal-judge-sets-householder-trial-for-jan-23-with-jury-selection-to-begin-jan-20.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jury selection begins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>Jan. 6, 2023: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/23566000-us-doj-trial-brief-filed-in-larry-householder-racketeering-case-january-6-2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prosecutors\u2019 trial brief <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reveals that FirstEnergy gave $400K to two dark money nonprofits One Ohio United and Citizens for a Working America. These organizations than passed the money on to the Hardworking Americans PAC which targeted Larry Householder\u2019s opponent in the 2018 Republican primary.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>Jan. 4, 2023: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/state\/2023\/01\/05\/witnesses-subpoenaed-to-testify-in-larry-householder-corruption-case\/69779295007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yost and other lawmakers subpoenaed as witnesses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>Jan. 3, 2023: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/23563650-orderdenyinghouseholdermotiontodismiss010323\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judge Tim Black denies Larry Householder\u2019s motion to dismiss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2022\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li><b>December 2022: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2023\/01\/FirstEnergy-agrees-to-pay-3.9M.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy agrees to pay $3.9M for failing to tell the Federal<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Energy Regulatory Commission<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">about payments to former PUCO Chairman Sam Randazzo and to Generation Now.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>October 2022: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/business\/energy-resource\/2022\/10\/28\/aep-says-it-is-cooperating-with-feds-on-house-bill-6-investigation\/69597296007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AEP receives a second subpoena<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>March 2022: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/2022\/03\/11\/larry-householder-public-corruption-federal-court-trial-date-2023\/7006617001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Black publishes schedule for Householder\u2019s trial<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with jury selection on Jan. 20, 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2021<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li><b>July 2021: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy reaches a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/1031296\/000103129621000071\/ex101-8k7x22x21.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">deferred prosecution agreement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and is fined $230 million. FirstEnergy admitted to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conspiring \u201cwith public officials and other individuals and entities to pay millions of dollars to public officials in exchange for specific official action for FirstEnergy Corp.\u2019s benefit.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>June 2021: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/larry-householder-ohio-expel-indictment-bribery-3c0347d54c1669b5243ef2b5c4f91e0b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ohio House expels Householder<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (75-21). American Electric Power (AEP) announces that the SEC has issued a subpoena about the role of a nonprofit affiliated with AEP, Empowering Ohio\u2019s Economy which gave $150,000 to Generation Now. House Bill 6 includes a bailout of coal plants owned in part by AEP. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/news\/politics\/state\/2020\/07\/25\/columbus-utility-giant-aep-funded-dark-money-spending-in-hb-6-campaign\/41843419\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AEP\u2019s nonprofit also gave $200,000 to the Coalition for Opportunity &amp; Growth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This appears to be the committee that spent $1 million in 2018 to candidates favored by Householder.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8715\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"641\"]<img class=\"wp-image-8715\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Image-10-300x2001-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"641\" height=\"428\" \/> American Electric Power Co. workers secure coal barges before making their way down the Ohio River. Photo by Ty Wright of Bloomberg via Getty Images.[\/caption]<\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>April 2021:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/business-f9b11d70588faa404dc3fb5f376ef5c6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy begins talks about deferred prosecution.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>March 2021: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Veteran lobbyist<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cincinnati.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2021\/06\/08\/prominent-columbus-lobbyist-neil-clark-died-suicide-while-wearing-blue-dewine-governor-t-shirt-accor\/7583922002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neil Clark dies as a result of suicide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This month, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/open\/2021\/03\/gov-mike-dewine-signs-repeal-of-nuclear-bailout-other-parts-of-scandal-tainted-house-bill-6.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gov. DeWine also signs House Bill 128,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which partially repeals House Bill 6. HB 128 doesn\u2019t remove language in House Bill 6 that gutted the energy efficiency and renewable energy mandates or remove the subsidies for two coal plants owned by Ohio utility companies.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>February 2021:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdoh\/pr\/purported-501c4-admits-being-used-conceal-corrupt-payments-related-passage-legislation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generation Now Pleads Guilty to federal racketeering<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Householder\u2019s chief political aide Jeff Longstreth signed the plea document.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2020<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li><b>Nov. 21, 2020: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jbalmert\/status\/1418300610777071616\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sam Randazzo resigns as chair of the Public Utilities Commission.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>Nov. 16, 2020: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/abc6onyourside.com\/news\/local\/fbi-raids-randazzo-home-11-16-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The FBI raids Chair of the Public Utilities Commission Sam Randazzo\u2019s house<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>October 2020:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Householder allies Longstreth &amp; Cespedes\u2019 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdoh\/pr\/political-strategist-lobbyist-each-plead-guilty-federal-public-corruption-racketeering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">guilty pleas unsealed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/482093648\/Longstreth-Plea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Longstreth admitted <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that he participated in the management of Generation Now, the nonprofit funded by FirstEnergy and that he <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cengaged in financial transactions that were designed to conceal the nature, source, ownership and control of payments.\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdoh\/pr\/political-strategist-lobbyist-each-plead-guilty-federal-public-corruption-racketeering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cespesdes admitted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that he orchestrated <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">payments to Generation Now and that he understood that the funds were meant to help Larry Householder achieve political goals and to help pass House Bill 6. Separately, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/business\/articles\/2022-03-23\/attorneys-utilitys-ex-ceo-planned-payments-in-ohio-scandal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy fired its CEO Chuck Jones and Vice President Mike Dowling<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img class=\" wp-image-8713 alignleft\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Image-9A-Longstreth-300x3001-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"304\" height=\"304\" \/> <img class=\" wp-image-8714 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Image-9B-Cespedes-300x3001-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"311\" height=\"311\" \/><b style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>July 21, 2020: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former Speaker of the Ohio House Larry<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Householder and his allies \u2014 Neil Clark, Matt Borges, Jeff Longstreth, and Juan Cespedes \u2014 are arrested. All of them, as well as <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generation Now 501(c)(4) were charged with public corruption and racketeering. Not only was FirstEnergy not charged at this time,\u00a0<\/span>but it also simply<a style=\"font-weight: 400;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/6999280-469930706-Criminal-Complaint.html#document\/p11\/a572781\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0appears as \u201cCompany A\u201d in the complaint<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The complaint lays out how dark money groups were used to benefit Householder politically and to garner a bailout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img class=\" wp-image-8712 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Image-8-Arrested-300x1131-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"459\" height=\"173\" \/><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>February 2020:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> FirstEnergy Solutions announced it <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/energyharbor.com\/en\/about\/news-and-information\/firstenergy-solutions-successfully-completes-financial-restructu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">successfully restructured under Chapter 11 bankruptcy and that it is changing its name to Energy Harbor<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>January 2020:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Jeff Longstreth, Larry Householder\u2019s chief political aide and strategist, received $1M from Generation Now.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2019<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li><b>November 2019: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a win for the utilities (but a loss for Ohio ratepayers) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2021\/07\/29\/firstenergy-said-it-bribed-a-regulator-for-4-3-million-heres-how-it-worked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PUCO eliminates the requirement for a new rate case<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for FirstEnergy.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>October 2019: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statenews.org\/government-politics\/2019-10-21\/nuclear-bailout-law-to-go-into-effect-after-referendum-group-misses-deadline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pro-referendum campaign misses deadlines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &amp; the energy bailout bill (House Bill 6) goes into effect.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>September 2019: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tyler Fehrman, the campaign manager for the referendum on House Bill 6, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/open\/2020\/07\/meet-the-man-who-helped-the-fbi-expose-ohio-house-speaker-larry-householders-alleged-60m-bribery-scheme.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wears a wire for the FBI during meetings with Matt Borges<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an Ohio Republican operative and lobbyist. These recordings reveal that Borges was attempting to gain insider information about the referendum effort.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>August 2019:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/open\/2019\/08\/proposed-anti-house-bill-6-referendum-clears-initial-hurdle.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attorney General approved<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov\/getattachment\/74f80e0c-4958-4503-88ab-5c38a3cbec46\/Referendum-of-Am-Sub-H-B-No-6-(Resubmission).aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">referendum petition<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for a public vote to overturn House Bill 6.<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleveland.com\/open\/2019\/08\/pro-house-bill-6-group-launches-1-million-ad-campaign-to-fend-off-statewide-referendum.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohioans for Energy Security launched a $1 million TV and radio ad campaign<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> opposing the referendum on HB6. These ads were <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/energynews.us\/2019\/09\/23\/whos-behind-the-chinese-conspiracy-ads-against-ohios-nuclear-referendum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">aggressive and xenophobic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"mceTemp\">\r\n\r\n<img class=\"wp-image-8711 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Image-7B-300x1601-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"474\" height=\"253\" \/>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Image of xenophobic mailer paid for by Ohioans for Energy Security<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8710 \" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Image-7A-300x1621-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"473\" height=\"256\" \/><\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li><b>July 2019:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/legislation-status?id=GA133-HB-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohio House passes House Bill 6<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (53-43).<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>May 2019:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/legislation-status?id=GA133-HB-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohio Senate passes House Bill 6<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (19-12).<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>May-July 2019:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ads from Generation Now\u2014funded by FirstEnergy promoting House Bill 6 \u2014 appear on the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beaconjournal.com\/story\/news\/politics\/state\/2020\/08\/04\/part-3-scrutiny-of-bailout-pushes-householders-enterprise-into-advertising-frenzy\/113366478\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> television<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.energyandpolicy.org\/generation-now-inc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social media<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ideastream.org\/news\/qa-householder-corruption-case-puts-spotlight-on-dark-money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohioans\u2019 mailboxes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>April 2019: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legislature.ohio.gov\/legislation\/legislation-status?id=GA133-HB-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 6 was introduced<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to bail out two nuclear plants, paid for by utility ratepayers. That month, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/energynews.us\/2020\/03\/09\/how-a-longtime-critic-of-clean-energy-became-ohios-top-utility-regulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sam Randazzo was also confirmed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by the Ohio Senate as chair of the PUCO.<\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\r\n \t<li><b>January 2019:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> FirstEnergy gives <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2021\/07\/29\/firstenergy-said-it-bribed-a-regulator-for-4-3-million-heres-how-it-worked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$4.3 M to Sustainability Funding Alliance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a shadowy for-profit corporation run by Sam Randazzo, who was later appointed the Chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>2018<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\r\n \t<li><b>March 2018: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toledoblade.com\/business\/energy\/2018\/03\/29\/Davis-Besse-nuclear-power-plant-to-shut-down-permanently-in-2020\/stories\/20180329201\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FirstEnergy Solutions announces closure of nuclear plants<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> including Davis Besse and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.utilitydive.com\/news\/firstenergy-solutions-files-for-bankruptcy-after-pushing-for-doe-emergency\/520371\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">files for bankruptcy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_8707\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"626\"]<img class=\"wp-image-8707\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Image-5-300x2221-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"626\" height=\"464\" \/> Image of the FirstEnergy Corp. Perry Nuclear Generating Station in Perry, Ohio. Photo by David Maxwell of Bloomberg via Getty Images.<span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u00a0<\/span>[\/caption]"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_add_component","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_add_component":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_work","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_work":{"heading":"Work","manually_curate":false,"work":null}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_resources","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_resources":{"heading":"Related Resources","button_text":"See all Related Resources","manually_curate":false,"resource":null}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>House Bill 6 Scandal Timeline: Ohio\u2019s Largest Corruption Case - Common Cause Ohio<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The House Bill 6 scandal\u2014the biggest in Ohio history\u2014was a $60 million scheme by FirstEnergy and other utility companies to buy seats and votes in the Ohio House to secure passage of a billion dollar bailout of failing nuclear and coal plants in Ohio and Indiana.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/ko\/resources\/\ubd80\ud328\uc758-\uc21c\ud658-\uac00\uad6c\uc8fc-hb6-\uc2a4\uce94\ub4e4\uc758-\ud0c0\uc784\ub77c\uc778\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ko_KR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"House Bill 6 Scandal Timeline: Ohio\u2019s Largest Corruption Case\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The House Bill 6 scandal\u2014the biggest in Ohio history\u2014was a $60 million scheme by FirstEnergy and other utility companies to buy seats and votes in the Ohio House to secure passage of a billion dollar bailout of failing nuclear and coal plants in Ohio and Indiana.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/ko\/resources\/\ubd80\ud328\uc758-\uc21c\ud658-\uac00\uad6c\uc8fc-hb6-\uc2a4\uce94\ub4e4\uc758-\ud0c0\uc784\ub77c\uc778\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause Ohio\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-18T22:31:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OH.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/resources\/a-cycle-of-corruption-a-timeline-of-the-householder-hb6-scandal\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/resources\/a-cycle-of-corruption-a-timeline-of-the-householder-hb6-scandal\/\",\"name\":\"House Bill 6 Scandal Timeline: Ohio\u2019s Largest Corruption Case - 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