My immediate thought, after this masterful breakdown is, “What a bunch of corrupt bullshit.” I can’t wait to vote for an Ohio Governor with a moral backbone.
The blatant thing we overlook in this whole discussion is how much our elections depend on large amounts of dark money paid, presumably to media, to convince voters whom to vote for. If only we could somehow bring about a constitutional amendment that would eliminate that across the country we would be so much better off. You can see even in this video that the way the Dems had to fight back was to get a large donation themselves. While presumably theirs wasn't corrupt, if it had been successful, it might have been subject to question. Indeed, those currently in power are fighting to make 'foreign' money donations illegal because there were apparently European ties to some of the money supporting the Reproductive Rights initiative. I have been making monthly donations (out of retirement income) to Blue Ohio, as well as my reps in Congress since last fall, and the election isn't for another five plus months. This is getting really scary and tiring.
Here’s what just absolutely floors me. My sister in law, yesterday, who I know is a Republican devotee and Fox News watcher, and told me she wishes she could vote for John Kerry now- she was relating that her trivia team couldn’t remember who the Democratic candidate for 2004 presidential race was- had NEVER heard of the First Energy corruption scandal!!!
I’m in awe of the grit you guys exhibit in the uphill fight you have in Ohio. The rest of us are rooting for you even though we don’t live in that State.
Reading this recap makes me glad I live in Michigan. Politicians in Michigan have had their moments but nothing like this. I’m not gloating at all but sad the that the state I spent much of my childhood has descended to this level. It sounds like dewine will skate legally but it sounds like his reputation is shot. I hope this scandal spreads to engulf other republicans that will force them to clean up their act. It starts with blocking gerrymandering.
For those who don’t know about the Ohio First Energy Scandal of 2020, here is an explanation:
First Energy provides electricity to many homes and businesses in Ohio. First Energy wanted to make more money, so they tried to pass a law that would make people pay more on their electricity bills. This extra money was supposed to help keep some old and expensive power plants running, even though they weren't really needed anymore.
To get this law passed, First Energy did something morally, ethically, and legally wrong. They secretly gave a lot of money to a group of politicians and other people to make sure the law would be approved. This is like if someone paid a teacher a lot of money to give a student an "A" on a test, even if they didn't study for it. It's not fair and it's against the rules.
When people found out about this, they were very upset. The police and government started investigating, and they discovered the secret payments. Some of the people involved, including a very important politician named Larry Householder, were arrested and charged with crimes. They were accused of taking bribes and being part of a big corruption scheme.
In the end, many people learned about the importance of keeping businesses and government honest and fair, and why it's wrong to use money to influence decisions in a sneaky way and several key figures were convicted for their involvement in a massive bribery scheme. Here's a summary of the main convictions:
1. Larry Householder: The former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy. He orchestrated a $60 million bribery scheme funded by FirstEnergy to pass House Bill 6, which provided a bailout for two nuclear plants. Householder was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
2. Matt Borges: The former Ohio Republican Party Chair was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy. Borges attempted to bribe an operative for inside information on efforts to overturn House Bill 6. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
3. Juan Cespedes and Jeff Longstreth: Both pleaded guilty to their roles in the bribery scheme. Cespedes was a lobbyist, and Longstreth was an aide to Householder. Their testimonies were crucial in securing the convictions of Householder and Borges [oai_citation:5,Former Ohio House speaker convicted in $60M bribery scheme.
4. Sam Randazzo: The former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) was indicted on multiple charges, including bribery and wire fraud. It was alleged that he accepted $4.3 million from FirstEnergy in exchange for favorable regulatory actions. Randazzo faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
These convictions highlight the extensive corruption involving FirstEnergy, which used dark money groups to influence legislation for financial gain. The scandal has prompted calls for reforms in Ohio's utility regulations to prevent such corruption in the future.
My immediate thought, after this masterful breakdown is, “What a bunch of corrupt bullshit.” I can’t wait to vote for an Ohio Governor with a moral backbone.
Who would that be?
The blatant thing we overlook in this whole discussion is how much our elections depend on large amounts of dark money paid, presumably to media, to convince voters whom to vote for. If only we could somehow bring about a constitutional amendment that would eliminate that across the country we would be so much better off. You can see even in this video that the way the Dems had to fight back was to get a large donation themselves. While presumably theirs wasn't corrupt, if it had been successful, it might have been subject to question. Indeed, those currently in power are fighting to make 'foreign' money donations illegal because there were apparently European ties to some of the money supporting the Reproductive Rights initiative. I have been making monthly donations (out of retirement income) to Blue Ohio, as well as my reps in Congress since last fall, and the election isn't for another five plus months. This is getting really scary and tiring.
Here’s what just absolutely floors me. My sister in law, yesterday, who I know is a Republican devotee and Fox News watcher, and told me she wishes she could vote for John Kerry now- she was relating that her trivia team couldn’t remember who the Democratic candidate for 2004 presidential race was- had NEVER heard of the First Energy corruption scandal!!!
The media does a powerful job of suppressing these scandals.
I’m in awe of the grit you guys exhibit in the uphill fight you have in Ohio. The rest of us are rooting for you even though we don’t live in that State.
Reading this recap makes me glad I live in Michigan. Politicians in Michigan have had their moments but nothing like this. I’m not gloating at all but sad the that the state I spent much of my childhood has descended to this level. It sounds like dewine will skate legally but it sounds like his reputation is shot. I hope this scandal spreads to engulf other republicans that will force them to clean up their act. It starts with blocking gerrymandering.
Is this legal? Do Ohioans have any recourse in response to Dewine's actions?
Jfc🤬
Thank you David.
I’m assuming that an investigation is forthcoming…given the evidence discovery?!
For those who don’t know about the Ohio First Energy Scandal of 2020, here is an explanation:
First Energy provides electricity to many homes and businesses in Ohio. First Energy wanted to make more money, so they tried to pass a law that would make people pay more on their electricity bills. This extra money was supposed to help keep some old and expensive power plants running, even though they weren't really needed anymore.
To get this law passed, First Energy did something morally, ethically, and legally wrong. They secretly gave a lot of money to a group of politicians and other people to make sure the law would be approved. This is like if someone paid a teacher a lot of money to give a student an "A" on a test, even if they didn't study for it. It's not fair and it's against the rules.
When people found out about this, they were very upset. The police and government started investigating, and they discovered the secret payments. Some of the people involved, including a very important politician named Larry Householder, were arrested and charged with crimes. They were accused of taking bribes and being part of a big corruption scheme.
In the end, many people learned about the importance of keeping businesses and government honest and fair, and why it's wrong to use money to influence decisions in a sneaky way and several key figures were convicted for their involvement in a massive bribery scheme. Here's a summary of the main convictions:
1. Larry Householder: The former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy. He orchestrated a $60 million bribery scheme funded by FirstEnergy to pass House Bill 6, which provided a bailout for two nuclear plants. Householder was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.
2. Matt Borges: The former Ohio Republican Party Chair was also convicted of racketeering conspiracy. Borges attempted to bribe an operative for inside information on efforts to overturn House Bill 6. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
3. Juan Cespedes and Jeff Longstreth: Both pleaded guilty to their roles in the bribery scheme. Cespedes was a lobbyist, and Longstreth was an aide to Householder. Their testimonies were crucial in securing the convictions of Householder and Borges [oai_citation:5,Former Ohio House speaker convicted in $60M bribery scheme.
4. Sam Randazzo: The former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) was indicted on multiple charges, including bribery and wire fraud. It was alleged that he accepted $4.3 million from FirstEnergy in exchange for favorable regulatory actions. Randazzo faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
These convictions highlight the extensive corruption involving FirstEnergy, which used dark money groups to influence legislation for financial gain. The scandal has prompted calls for reforms in Ohio's utility regulations to prevent such corruption in the future.