💥NEWS💥: Audit uncovers $71 million MORE in dark money

Our calls for deeper investigations have been heard as more dark money has been unearthed.

An audit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) provides the most detailed look yet at the vast sums of money FirstEnergy poured into dark-money lobbying efforts to pass HB6. The audit flags $133 million - more than double the $61 million FirstEnergy paid dark money entity Generation Now.

The audit found FirstEnergy improperly raised prices on customers and attempted to “conceal the nature and purpose” of these payments from the public.

FirstEnergy now has two months to develop a plan to issue refunds to customers.

It's not just FERC, there are multiple investigations of FirstEnergy currently underway, including: the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Ohio, the Cincinnati FBI, the IRS, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as FirstEnergy's own internal investigation.

Larry Householder asks judge to dismiss corruption case

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder has asked a federal judge to dismiss the bribery case against him, claiming prosecutors haven't proven that he oversaw the largest bribery scheme in Ohio history to pass House Bill 6.

Householder's attorneys are citing that here was no “explicit” quid pro quo despite FirstEnergy’s deferred prosecution agreement admitting to using a nonprofit to “conceal payments for the benefit of public officials and in return for official action.”

All of the candidates for governor are weighing in on the findings of the latest investigation into FirstEnergy’s bribe payments and political spending, yet...

Nothing but silence from the Governor Mike DeWine

The corruption surrounding House Bill 6 has exposed a regulatory failure of the first magnitude.

Governor DeWine can’t run from energy bailout bribery scandal as dirty laundry keeps piling up. As Marilou Johanek writes in a recent column:

He had put the full weight of the governor’s office behind the nuclear bailout bill and signed the corrupt measure into law the very day it passed. The “energy” legislation championed by DeWine also put ratepayers on the hook to bail out two money-losing, hyper-polluting coal plants (one in Indiana) partially owned by other utilities and two FirstEnergy subsidiaries. Plus, the bailout boondoggle the governor couldn’t sign fast enough thoroughly gutted renewable energy and energy efficiency standards and removed all incentive to build more renewable energy projects in the state.

Is it too much to expect that the governor looks out for Ohioans? What is he waiting for?

Please help us keep the pressure on and hold policy makers accountable

We deserve justice!

Ohio Citizen Action

P.S. Please register for our upcoming event, The Intersection of Racial Justice and Climate Action.

Fairborn Joins PCFO

At this Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the City of Fairborn unanimously passed a resolution to join Power a Clean Future Ohio (PCFO), making them the 27th community.

Ohioans on the hook for coal bailouts 💸

Thank you to all the good people who contributed to our year-end appeal. We raised $37,415 - a good bit over our $30K goal!

It's so important we carry that momentum into this new year as we continue working to repeal the OVEC coal plant bailouts that are rooted in HB 6 corruption.

Here's the latest:

From the Plain Dealer editorial board:

"If any Ohioan doubts that tainted House Bill 6 is still exacting huge costs from them and other utility ratepayers, they need only go to the website of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, the state advocate for utility customers, and look at an OCC calculator that’s been running since HB 6 took effect. As of Friday, it showed nearly $172 million paid out by Ohio ratepayers to subsidize two money-losing coal plants, one of them in Indiana."

Thanks again and Happy New Year!

Ohio Citizen Action

P.S. There's still time to contribute and help us repeal this corrupt law once and for all.