Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s Meetings Under Scrutiny Amid FirstEnergy Scandal
A detailed examination of Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s calendar from 2019 reveals his involvement in several meetings with key players in the FirstEnergy bribery scandal, which has already resulted in one state lawmaker’s imprisonment.
In 2020, federal prosecutors charged that FirstEnergy, an Akron-based electric utility, funneled $60 million through shadowy political groups to five Republican officials. These officials subsequently supported House Bill 6 (HB 6), a contentious law that raised utility rates to finance a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear power plants owned by a FirstEnergy subsidiary.
Husted, who was Ohio’s lieutenant governor at the time, participated in meetings that appeared to focus on HB 6. He has adamantly denied knowledge of the scheme, despite evidence from text messages, phone calls, and meetings indicating his close contacts with central figures involved.
One of these figures was Sam Randazzo, the then-chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, whom prosecutors allege received bribe money. Records show Husted had a phone meeting with Randazzo on April 10, 2019, just two days before HB 6 was introduced. They met again on June 7, 2019, shortly after the legislation moved to the state Senate.
Randazzo, who was personally recruited by Husted to lead the commission, faced federal indictment in 2023 for his involvement. However, the charges were dropped after his suicide in 2024.
On May 10, 2019, Husted met with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Dan McCarthy, DeWine’s legislative affairs director. Before joining the administration, McCarthy was a lobbyist for FirstEnergy and had helped establish one of the dark-money groups involved in the scheme. Husted’s calendar described this meeting as a “legal meeting.”
Gov. DeWine signed HB 6 into law in July 2019, leading to public outcry and a failed referendum attempt to overturn the law. On August 29, 2019, Husted met with Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a day after the referendum’s ballot language was certified. Prosecutors identify Householder as the mastermind and a major beneficiary of the bribery. He’s serving a 20-year federal sentence and facing state charges.
In September 2019, Husted met with FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones during a crucial period as the company urged the state Supreme Court to block the referendum. Jones, who was leading the company during the scheme’s development, is currently on trial. Both Jones and Householder deny any misconduct.
Husted’s calendar also records three other meetings on “nuclear subsidies” between April and June 2019, though the attendees are not specified.
According to Democratic state Sen. Kent Smith, these meetings indicate Husted’s consistent support for FirstEnergy, as he told News 5 Cleveland.
Although the referendum failed to secure a ballot spot, legislators are now seeking to repeal HB 6 through legislative means in light of the scandal. Husted, who was appointed to the U.S. Senate last year, is campaigning for a full term this year.
To date, FirstEnergy has paid $330 million in federal penalties related to the scandal and was ordered to refund $186 million to its customers following the rate hike.
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