Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s involvement in meetings with key figures of the FirstEnergy bribery scandal has come under scrutiny, with his 2019 calendar revealing several such encounters. This scandal has already resulted in the incarceration of a state lawmaker.
FirstEnergy, an Akron-based electric utility company, was accused by federal prosecutors in 2020 of channeling $60 million through dark-money groups to five Republican officials. These officials, in turn, supported House Bill 6 (HB 6), a contentious law that increased utility rates to finance a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear power plants owned by a FirstEnergy subsidiary.
During his tenure as lieutenant governor, Husted held several meetings related to HB 6, yet he has consistently denied any knowledge of the corruption scheme. Despite this, evidence such as text messages, phone calls, and meetings suggest he had close interactions with key players.
One such player was Sam Randazzo, former chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, who was accused of accepting bribe money. Husted’s calendar notes a phone meeting with Randazzo on April 10, 2019, just two days before HB 6 was introduced. Another meeting occurred on June 7, 2019, following the bill’s advancement to the state Senate.
Randazzo, who was appointed to his position at the behest of Husted, faced federal charges in 2023 related to the scandal. However, these charges were vacated after Randazzo’s death by suicide in 2024.
Another notable meeting took place on May 10, 2019, between Husted, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, and Dan McCarthy, the governor’s legislative affairs director. McCarthy, a former FirstEnergy lobbyist, allegedly helped establish a dark-money group to facilitate the bribe money. Husted’s calendar marked this session as a “legal meeting.”
HB 6 was signed into law by DeWine in July 2019, sparking public outcry and a movement for a referendum to repeal it. Husted’s calendar shows he met with Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, considered the mastermind behind the scheme, on August 29, 2019. This was the same day the referendum’s ballot language was certified.
Householder, now serving a 20-year federal sentence on racketeering charges, is facing additional state charges. Husted also met with FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones in September 2019, while the company pushed the state Supreme Court to prevent the referendum. Jones, involved in the scheme’s inception, is currently on trial and denies any misconduct.
Husted’s records also list three other meetings on “nuclear subsidies” between April and June 2019, though the attendees remain unidentified. Democratic state Sen. Kent Smith commented to News 5 Cleveland, “He’s always been an advocate for FirstEnergy.”
The referendum to overturn HB 6 failed to secure enough signatures to make it to the ballot. In light of the scandal, state legislators are now working on a legislative repeal.
Husted, who filled the Senate seat vacated by Vice President J.D. Vance last year, is currently campaigning for his first full term. Meanwhile, FirstEnergy has already paid $330 million in federal penalties and was ordered to refund $186 million to customers impacted by the rate hikes.
