ICYMI: Derek Merrin Accepts More than $90K in Donations Linked to FirstEnergy

ICYMI: Derek Merrin Accepts More than $90K in Donations Linked to FirstEnergy

October 9, 2026

COLUMBUS - As Derek Merrin repeatedly runs from Ohioans' questions on his record of raising Ohioans' utility bills, his campaign once again "declined to talk about data centers and his connection to FirstEnergy," in response to shocking new reporting detailing just how deep Derek's connections are to the FirstEnergy scandal that caused Ohioans' electricity costs to skyrocket. As Merrin faces scrutiny for voting in favor of FirstEnergy's billion-dollar bailout and voting against expelling Larry Householder following his federal indictment, the Fremont News-Messenger is highlighting how "Team Householder" candidate Derek Merrin received $91,474 in FirstEnergy-linked donations between 2016 and 2024.

"As Ohioans grapple with sky-high electricity bills across the state, Derek Merrin is running from his record of lining his own pockets with donations linked to FirstEnergy," said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Abby Hasselbrink. "Whether it's voting to expand tax breaks for data centers, voting for Householder's billion-dollar bailout, refusing to expel Householder after he was indicted, or accepting nearly $100k in campaign donations linked to FirstEnergy, Derek Merrin refuses to answer for his record of siding with corrupt special interests at the expense of working Ohioans-and Northwest Ohio will reject him once again in November."

Read more from the Fremont News-Messenger about Derek Merrin's record accepting tens of thousands of dollars linked to FirstEnergy - and how he refuses to answer for it:

Fremont News-Messenger: In Ohio congressional race, silence on FirstEnergy donations

• The largest bribery scandal in Ohio history haunts a local political race, and one candidate declined to comment on it.
• Republican Derek Merrin, running for U.S. Congress against Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur, received campaign donations linking him to FirstEnergy, but declined to get into the specifics with the News-Messenger.
• FirstEnergy is the former owner of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Oak Harbor. The company spent more than $60 million in exchange for a nuclear bailout known as House Bill 6. The money went to aid former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder in a pay-to-play scheme with fellow legislators. Householder went to prison for the scheme, along with former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges.
• The Merrin campaign declined to talk about data centers and his connection to FirstEnergy.
• "I don't feel comfortable giving a statement over the phone just now, but on background I will say the FirstEnergy stuff, a lot of that has been incoming from Kaptur and her camp," a Merrin staffer said in a phone interview Sept. 22.
• Other Ohio House members who received campaign donations from FirstEnergy-linked groups came up with post-campaign restitution methods, such as making donations to various charities.
• No evidence could be found by press time that Merrin had made a similar effort, despite staff promises to follow-up with the News-Messenger.
• FirstEnergy-linked donations came to $91,474 for all of his campaigns from 2016 to 2024.
• Householder was arrested by the FBI in July 2020.
• With some bribery-related court cases still in progress, Merrin voted not to expel Householder. He previously voted for him to become speaker of the House and voted to pass House Bill 6. He also accepted campaign funds from Friends of Larry Householder, including $7,707 in 2018 for Merrin's state-level campaign.

###