JON HUSTED TRIAL TRACKER: Even More Ties Revealed Between Husted and FirstEnergy

JON HUSTED TRIAL TRACKER: Even More Ties Revealed Between Husted and FirstEnergy

February 20, 2026

Husted and the Husted-DeWine administration mentioned 24 times yesterday

Text messages between Husted and indicted FirstEnergy executives at center of trial

Columbus, Ohio - Just days after new reporting revealed that Jon Husted held secret, unreported meetings with indicted FirstEnergy executives, Husted once again took center stage in the ongoing criminal corruption trial. Husted and the Husted-DeWine administration were mentioned 24 times yesterday - breaking the record set just the other week and further strengthening his deep ties to the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history.

Text messages between Husted and indicted FirstEnergy executives are now at the center of the trial, underscoring how key his role was in the scheme that delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities while sticking Ohio families with higher energy bills.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

"Just days after reports revealed Jon Husted held secret meetings around HB 6, text messages between Husted and indicted executives surfaced in court - and his name was mentioned 24 times at trial. Ohioans deserve answers about why Husted remains at the center of the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. What else is Jon Husted hiding?"

Read more about Jon Husted's role in Ohio's largest corruption scandal:

• New reporting reveals Jon Husted held secret meetings with indicted FirstEnergy executives, including with the "mastermind of Ohio's largest public corruption scheme two days before scandal-ridden bribery legislation was introduced."

• Neil Clark, a FirstEnergy lobbyist and co-defendant with former House Speaker Larry Householder, referred to Husted as FirstEnergy's "golden boy."

• Text messages between Husted and FirstEnergy Executives reveal that the trio were in constant communication "before, during and after his campaign."

• Indicted FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones said Husted was a "good friend of FirstEnergy" who was "highly engaged" and "fighting to the end" in support of the massive bail out.

• Just weeks after Husted and DeWine were elected in 2018, they had dinner with Jones and Dowling at the Athletic Club of Columbus.

• Public records show that FirstEnergy funneled $1 million in dark money to a nonprofit backing Husted in 2017 - part of the same corrupt scheme that led to federal indictments.

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