FirstEnergy just can’t let go of CEI’s old battle against Cleveland Public Power
Chuck Jones, the former CEO of FirstEnergy Corp. FirstEnergy fired Jones and two senior vice presidents Oct. 29 amid federal investigations of an alleged $60 million conspiracy to pass House Bill 6 involving "Company A," whose depiction in federal documents matches that of FirstEnergy.
"In Cleveland, FirstEnergy -- parent company of the old Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. (CEI), currently known as the Illuminating Co.; Ohio Edison Co.; and Toledo Edison Co. -- has added to what’s now more than a half-century of predatory conduct originally pursued by CEI.
Its aim? To drive the city’s municipal electric system -- Cleveland Public Power -- out of business.
A Dec. 24 story by Plain Dealer and cleveland.com reporter John Caniglia exposed how a dark money group funded in part by a $200,000 contribution from FirstEnergy in 2019 tried to erode customer confidence in Cleveland Public Power by criticizing its rates and service.
Ironically, FirstEnergy’s latest efforts to ruin Cleveland Public Power came at a time when evidence suggested mismanagement by the administration of Mayor Frank Jackson was lending FirstEnergy a helping hand."
- Brent Larkin, cleveland.com