(The Center Square) – Nearly five years after House Bill 6 became law and resulted in what prosecutors call the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history, lawmakers continue to push for reforms.
Democrats in the House of Representatives say ratepayers funded FirstEnergy’s campaign and other contributions to several state officials and continue to pay with higher rates and fees.
House Bill 444, sponsors say, would make utility company donations more transparent and fine those that use ratepayer funds for political purposes.
“It’s no wonder Americans’ views of politics and elected officials are unrelentingly negative,” said Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown. “They’re right to feel this way if we do nothing, especially with bread-and-butter issues like their monthly bills and costs. Those feelings are an indictment on us, most especially when there are corruption indictments and we, as the stewards of this government, don’t improve their circumstances. HB444 is an opportunity to do that and to show that we, as lawmakers, see and feel their experiences.”
The bill, which recently had its first hearing, would ban utilities from lobbying, donating to political groups or nonprofits or public relations campaigns with ratepayer money.
As previously reported by The Center Square, FirstEnergy agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in the wake of the scandal. It admitted conspiring with public officials, others and entities to pay millions of dollars to public officials in exchange for specific official action to help FirstEnergy.
FirstEnergy admitted to prosecutors it funneled millions of dollars through nonprofits and dark money groups to public officials for passage of the $1 billion nuclear bailout that led to the arrest, ouster, conviction and sentencing of former House Speaker Larry Householder.
The new legislation would also require utilities to disclose an itemized list of their political expenses and fine those that engage in politics with ratepayer funds.
“I know my family and other Ohio families don’t expect to be charged fees for a business’ politicking or business executives enriching themselves through backroom deals,” said Rep. Jessica Miranda, D-Forest Park. “Yet this is exactly what we, as lawmakers, are allowing to take place in Ohio in the utility space and why we have found ourselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals to ever take place.
“Deterrence and transparency are key, and HB444 clearly defines what constitutes political expenditures while requiring increased penalties and reporting.”
The testimony comes just two weeks after former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo, who was implicated in the scandal and faced a series of state charges, was found dead of an apparent suicide.
