Gov. Mike DeWine continues to praise and support an aide who he said knew about a $4.3 million payoff by FirstEnergy to DeWine’s pick to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio — the entity that decides how much FirstEnergy can charge customers.
The aide knew about the payment, but didn’t tell DeWine until the FBI searched the regulator’s home nearly two years later, the governor’s office says.
“It is ridiculous and patently false to assert the Governor had a role in bribery schemes, either those alleged or already adjudicated in criminal court, that enriched other persons, and no such court case makes any such allegation,” Tierney said in an email.
Also, Dawson — the chief of staff who waited nearly two years to tell DeWine about the $4.3 million payoff to Randazzo — was married to a former FirstEnergy lobbyist whom the state indictment said had gotten a $10,000 loan from Randazzo a few years before DeWine took office. It’s unknown whether Dawson’s husband ever paid that money back to Randazzo, who’s gotten well over $10 million from FirstEnergy under shady circumstances, according to the state indictment.
“It would be highly unusual for the governor to be made aware of such a payment in the vetting of a cabinet member, especially when it was well known that Randazzo was a paid consultant for FirstEnergy,” Tierney told Cleveland’s WEWS last month. The executives went from that meeting to Randazzo’s German Village condo. The same evening, Randazzio sent Dowling a text that ended “Total 4,333,333.”
Despite all that, DeWine made a priority to appoint as regulator somebody with connections to the industry, arguing that such a person would have expertise.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stands behind aide while she stays mum about bribery scandalThe aide knew about the payment, but didn’t tell DeWine until the FBI searched the regulator’s home nearly two years later, the governor’s office says.
Read more »
Fresh Bailout and Bribery Indictments Raise Questions About What Ohio Gov. DeWine Knew and WhenThe announcement Monday of new felony indictments against players in Ohio’s massive bribery scandal is again raising questions about what Gov. Mike DeWine knew before and after he nominated Sam Randazzo to be the top utility regulator in the state.
Read more »
Ohio Gov. DeWine makes endorsement in uber-competitive Senate raceRepublican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday endorsed state Sen. Matt Dolan over Trump-backed businessman Bernie Moreno in the Buckeye State's highly competitive Senate race.
Read more »
Ohio Democratic legislative leaders call for federal probe of DeWine administrationWhat did he know and when did he know it?That Watergate-era question took on added significance Thursday in Ohio when Democratic leaders in both branches of the
Read more »
Gov. DeWine defends top advisor after indictment questions how much she knew about H.B. 6 scandalReporter at News 5 Cleveland
Read more »
Gov. Mike Dunleavy says bipartisan education funding bill ‘falls far short’The bill would increase the base per-student state funding to school districts by $680, the first substantial increase since 2016.
Read more »