It’s the biggest bribery scandal in Ohio history, and suddenly a guy (Lt. Governor Jon Husted, already running for Governor in ‘26) involved in so much of the timeline, is losing his memory.
So let me refresh his recollection. And your’s too!
First, WATCH the VIDEO above.
Now, here are all the receipts for what I lay out.
Here is the December 17 and 18 exchange (presented in last week’s indictment) between Sam Randazzo (the one indicted last week) and First Energy executives about the PUCO opening (Randazzo soon is appointed chair) and a requested 4.3M payment.
Here is the December 19 exchange where the First Energy executives agree to the $4.3M payment (the executives later agree it was a bribe), tell Randazzo they will pay it all at once, and ask him: “Don’t forget us about us”
Boy are they confident he’ll get appointed, aren’t they?
Then they actually MAKE the payment of the $4.3M weeks later…
Randazzo applies for the opening weeks AFTER receiving that payment…
Now THAT is confident. Why so confident? Good question.
Well….HERE is the story detailing that First Energy executives had dinner w the Governor (DeWine) and Lt. Governor (the forgetful Husted) the evening of the 18th! So the day before agreeing to pay the $4.3M, they meet with the very officials who can secure that PUCO appointment. 👀
And HERE is the story late last week where Husted agrees he was at the Dec. 18 dinner, but somehow he can’t remember if the PUCO appointment was discussed. 🤔
Given the timeline above, if you believe that, I’ve got a $4.3M bridge to sell you.
Especially when this fella Randazzo later testified that it was Husted himself and DeWine’s Chief of Staff, who “recruited” him—that’s right, the very people at that dinner on December 18.
I’m sorry, Lt. Governor.
You’re going to have to come up with something better than you can’t remember. And soon.
When you take depositions, they are under oath.
Oh, and the people of Ohio are a lot smarter than you think they are.
The Dining Room Where It Happened