SoCal Gas is the nation's largest utility, but (incredibly), it's not the dirtiest. That prize goes to #Ohio's #FirstEnergy, which handed $60m in ratepayer dollars to state politicians in illegal bribes in exchange for coal and nuclear subsidies and cancellation of state climate rules. That scandal led to #GOP speaker of the Ohio House #LarryHouseholder being sentenced to 20 years in prison:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_nuclear_bribery_scandal

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#Ohio House Bill 6 settlement payment from #FirstEnergy

Anyone who paid Ohio Edison, #Cleveland Electric or #Toledo Edison fees that arose from the passage of HB 6 from Jan. 1, 2020, to June 22, 2022, may be entitled to some of the settlement money.

The payments started being distributed on July 31. Eligible recipients can expect to receive an email from rewards@reward.tremendous.com with the subject header “Ohio Electricity #Litigation: Your Digital Payment is Ready

https://fox8.com/news/check-the-mail-firstenergy-settlement-payouts-on-the-way/

“A utility bailout at the center of a massive bribery & money laundering scandal was such bad legislation…that it’s hard to see how it could have survived without the more than $60M in bribes that sustained it.”

See #SCOTUS decision #CitizensUnited v #FEC (2010), “which for the 1st time allowed unlimited direct corporate spending in elections.” #firstenergy

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/03/15/analysis-bribery-scandal-showed-how-ohio-politics-is-polluted-with-dark-money/

#OHIO
Ousted #FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones again asserts his innocence, after #Householder guilty verdict
https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/03/ousted-firstenergy-ceo-chuck-jones-again-asserts-his-innocence-after-householder-guilty-verdict.html
https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/03/guilty-former-ohio-house-speaker-larry-householder-ex-ohio-gop-chairman-matt-borges-convicted-in-60m-bribery-scheme.html

Fmr #OhioHouse Spkr Larry #Householder & state Repub Chair Matt Borges were found guilty of felony racketeering charges related to the $1.3B billion-dollar utility bailout legislation benefiting #FirstEnergy & passed in 2019.

“FirstEnergy & other utilities paid tens of millions into an effort to elect friendly lawmakers in 2018 who would vote to make Householder speaker the following year.”

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/03/10/former-ohio-speaker-gop-chair-found-guilty-of-racketeering/

It's refreshing to see justice applied to corrupt people now and then. The state-level political situation here in Ohio can seem pretty hopeless.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/09/ohio-republicans-guilty-60m-bribery-scheme

#ohio #politics #corruption #racketeering #firstenergy

Very important fact being left out of the story.

#firstenergy bribed Larry and many other Republicans who didn't get caught for one reason:

Destroy alternative energy momentum in Ohio.

First Energy is just another piece of shit murdering corporation which will suffer no consequences whatsoever

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/former-ohio-house-speaker-convicted-60m-bribery-scheme-rcna74227#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16783980377544&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fpolitics-news%2Fformer-ohio-house-speaker-convicted-60m-bribery-scheme-rcna74227

@dell
Is the FBI investigating LaHood in relation to the #FirstEnergy bribery scandal? https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2023/03/09/jury-delivers-householder-verdict

Construction Under Way On New FirstEnergy Facility https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/construction-under-way-on-new-firstenergy-facility/60136?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #development #electricity #FirstEnergy #Ohio #Construction

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/02/21/stalking-assault-alleged-in-repeal-fight-over-corrupt-utility-bailout-in-ohio/ Testimony opened the fourth week of the trial in which former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and former state Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges are accused of racketeering. They and others allegedly conspired to use $61 million from Akron-based #FirstEnergy to make Householder Speaker in 2019 and then pass and protect House Bill 6 — a $1.3 billion bailout that primarily benefited nuclear and coal plants owned by FirstEnergy Solutions #GOPcorruption

“…biggest bribery & money laundering scandal in #Ohio history”

‘19: Fmr House Spkr Larry #Householder allegedly masterminds a “scheme to use $61M —primarily from… #FirstEnergy —to make himself House spkr….” The quid pro quo: He “ramrodded”a $1.3B bill thru the legislature, benefitting FE’s “failing nuclear & coal plants.” (Gov Mike #DeWine signed the bill the same day?!!)

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/02/13/householder-corruption-trial-regulator-sent-resume-to-utility-he-was-regulating/

“…7th day of testimony in the racketeering trial of fmr #Ohio House Speaker & Matthew #Borges, a fmr state Repub Party chair, who lobbied to pass & protect the utility subsidy, HB6. Prosecutors said they corruptly used $61M from #FirstEnergy & other utilities to elect #Householder speaker, pass #HB6, & thwart the effort to repeal the bill.”

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/02/06/ohio-lobbyist-matt-borges-accused-of-paying-15k-to-spy-on-effort-to-repeal-corrupt-utility-bailout/

“There has been speculation since the start of a massive public corruption trial that lawyers for the main defendant—fmr #Ohio House Speaker Larry #Householder —were banking on getting any conviction tossed out on appeal.…when one of the attorneys took the rare step of accusing the judge in the case of bias against his client.”

#FirstEnergy #corruption

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/02/01/angling-for-appeal-householder-attorneys-go-after-judge-in-corruption-trial/

Fate of former #OhioHouse speaker could hinge on whether he took an “official act”

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/01/31/fate-of-former-ohio-house-speaker-could-hinge-on-whether-he-took-an-official-act
#GOP #ohio #firstEnergy #crimes

Important new look at how utility corporations have used money taken from their captive customers to lobby lawmakers, skew public opinion, and--in cases like the #FirstEnergy and the #OhioLegislature--engaged in outright bribery.

https://www.energyandpolicy.org/guide-to-protect-ratepayers-from-utility-scandals/

#MEPolitics #UtilityAccountability

Expert says ongoing #FBI agent testimony may be significant to outcome of #Householder trial

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/01/25/expert-says-ongoing-fbi-agent-testimony-may-be-significant-to-outcome-of-householder-trial
#Ohio #Gop #corruption #FirstEnergy

“In late 2016, as Larry #Householder was plotting his return to the #Ohio House speakership, Akron-based #FirstEnergy was drowning in losses from its uncompetitive nuclear & coal generators.”

But wks later, Householder & associates flew on a FE-owned private plane to Wash DC “for a swanky series of dinners & drinks w top execs,” incl FE CEO Chuck Jones.

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/01/24/swanky-d-c-dinners-between-firstenergy-execs-and-householder-led-to-corrupt-scheme-prosecutors-say/

The Ohio-based utility #FirstEnergy agrees to pay another $3.9 million for failing to provide lobbying/accounting information to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC. In 2021 the company agreed to pay $240 million fine for #bribery to secure $1bn bailout to #nuclear plants.

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/firstenergy-FERC-fine-HB-6-bribery-scandal/639490/
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/firstenergy-agrees-to-pay-230m-fine-for-bribing-ohio-officials-to-bail-out/603836/

FirstEnergy and PJM Ask Customers to Conserve Electricity

AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 24, 2022 -- Due to the continuing frigid weather impacting FirstEnergy's service territory along with much of the country, PJM Interconnection, the electric grid operator for the region, is asking that customers take steps to conserve electricity through 10 a.m. on Sunday, December 25.

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/newsroom/news_articles/firstenergy-and-pjm-ask-customers-to-conserve-electricity.html
#FirstEnergy

Ohio's FirstEnergy owns the beleaguered #DavisBesse nuke that came extremely close to a nuclear meltdown. The #FirstEnergy execs promised the corrupt Gov #DeWine administration would ‘step in’ for scandal-tainted HB6, emails show

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/12/firstenergy-execs-promised-dewine-administration-would-step-in-for-scandal-tainted-hb6-emails-show.html