NEW REPORTING: Jon Husted Continues To Remain At Center Of Largest Bribery Scandal In Ohio History

NEW REPORTING: Jon Husted Continues To Remain At Center Of Largest Bribery Scandal In Ohio History

August 11, 2026

Columbus Dispatch: As energy prices soar, Ohio utility scandal gets new life on campaign trail

COLUMBUS, OHIO - New reporting from the Columbus Dispatch reveals that Jon Husted continues to remain at the center of the FirstEnergy bribery scheme, the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history.

Previous reporting has already uncovered phone calls, text messages, and secret meetings between Husted and the indicted FirstEnergy executives, and Husted was forced to testify for the defense in a state criminal trial - where he was mentioned 386 times.

The massive FirstEnergy bribery scheme that Jon Husted championed delivered a billion dollar bailout to utilities and contributed to electricity costs for Ohioans increasing by $663 a year.

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Columbus Dispatch: As energy prices soar, Ohio utility scandal gets new life on campaign trail

• As Ohioans face soaring utility costs, candidates for U.S. Senate are jockeying over who's to blame − and Democrats hope to turn voters' attention to the biggest corruption scandal in state history.

• Husted was a key ally for Akron-based FirstEnergy, which spent more than $60 million to aid former House Speaker Larry Householder in exchange for a nuclear bailout known as House Bill 6. The pay-to-pay scandal upended state government and sent Householder and former Ohio Republican Party chair Matt Borges to prison.

• Still, Brown and other Democrats are eager to highlight the ordeal, including Husted's recent testimony in the trial of two former FirstEnergy executives accused of bribery.

• Husted has a decades-long history with FirstEnergy.

• Husted backed pro-utility policies during his tenure as Ohio House speaker. When he ran for governor in 2017, FirstEnergy gave $1 million through a dark money group to support his bid. The utility spent another $2.5 million to help the DeWine campaign after Husted dropped out and became DeWine's running mate.

• Husted's relationship with FirstEnergy got renewed attention earlier this year when he testified in the trial of former CEO Chuck Jones and ex-lobbyist Michael Dowling.

• The former executives are accused of bribing Ohio's former top utility regulator, Sam Randazzo. A Summit County jury couldn't reach a verdict during their first trial, but Jones and Dowling were indicted again and face another trial in January 2027.

• During a March hearing, Husted fielded questions about DeWine's decision to appoint Randazzo and a December 2018 dinner he attended with DeWine, Jones and Dowling. Prosecutors contend Jones and Dowling urged DeWine to pick Randazzo during that meeting and paid Randazzo a $4.3 million bribe shortly after. Husted said he couldn't recall specifics.

• "Jon Husted was at the center of this," [Senator Sherrod] Brown told the statehouse bureau. "Of course he'll make excuses."

• House Bill 6 imposed monthly fees on utility customers to raise money for FirstEnergy's nuclear plants, along with solar projects and coal plants in Ohio and Indiana. It also slashed renewable energy mandates and energy efficiency incentives.

• Ohioans paid an average of $188.84 for electricity in July, according to PUCO, up from $168.98 the year prior. That amount was $114.90 in July 2019, months before House Bill 6 took effect. The biggest jump occurred between 2022 and 2023, when electric bills spiked 30%.

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