The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Wednesday ordered FirstEnergy to pay more than $250 million in total for misconduct related to the House Bill 6 bribery scandal.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Wednesday ordered FirstEnergy to pay more than $250 million in response to various aspects of the House Bill 6 scandal. The money includes more than $186 million in refunds to FirstEnergy customers.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Wednesday ordered FirstEnergy to pay more than $250 million in total for misconduct related to the House Bill 6 bribery scandal. The penalties, which include nearly $187 million that will be returned to FirstEnergy customers, come on top of $390 million in penalties and settlements the Akron-based utility has already paid in response to issues connected to the sweeping scandal, which has dragged in ex-PUCO Chair Sam Randazzo and ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, among others. However, the penalty is less than the $544 million in total – including more than $467 million in customer refunds – that the state’s utility watchdog group called for FirstEnergy to pay. The largest penalty imposed by the PUCO on Wednesday was nearly $180 million for improperly using customer fees collected in the name of modernizing the company’s electricity grid. A 2022 audit found no evidence that FirstEnergy actually used the money on grid modernization. The $180 million figure represents three times the amount FirstEnergy admitted to spending to bribe Householder to pass and preserve HB6, a 2019 energy law that provided multiple windfalls for FirstEnergy.A PUCO-ordered audit previously found that millions from that fee flowed to two entities associated with Householder, two associated with Randazzo, and 12 associated with Cleveland businessman Tony George. The penalties mark a conclusion to three PUCO investigations related to the HB6 scandal ordered after Householder’s arrest in July 2020. A decision on a fourth investigation, into FirstEnergy’s political and charitable spending, is expected next February. The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com has reached out to a FirstEnergy spokeswoman for comment on Wednesday’s decision. Jeremy Pelzer has worked in the Columbus bureau of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer since 2013. Prior to that, Pelzer worked for Gongwer News Service in Ohio and covered government and politics in Illinois,...If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
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.
Point spread, betting odds for San Diego State football vs. San Jose StateBack on track after a big win against Boise State in a showdown for first place in the Mountain West, San Diego State plays its final home regular-season game w
Read more »
Big Ten Power Rankings: Ohio State Leads the Way; Penn State Climbs, Iowa FallsFOX Sports' Michael Cohen offers up his latest Big Ten Power Rankings with Ohio State on top, Penn State surging and Iowa falling.
Read more »
San Diego State moves up in ESPN’s FPI rankings after win over Boise StateThe San Diego State Aztecs moved up eight spots in ESPN's predictive rating system on Monday, from 72nd to 64th, and are heavily favored to win the Mountain Wes
Read more »
Suno Raises $250 Million for $2.45 Billion ValuationSuno raises $250M in Series C funding led by Menlo Ventures, reaching a $2.45 billion valuation to expand its music creation platform.
Read more »
Penn State coaching search linked to coveted Ohio State assistantSports Illustrated’s Pat Forde linked Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline to the Penn State coaching job as the Nittany Lions expand their search beyond initial targets like Curt Cignetti and Matt Rhule.
Read more »
AI Music Platform Suno Secures $250 Million in Funding, Reports $2.45 Billion ValuationMenlo Ventures led the round, with NVIDIA, Matrix, Lightspeed and Hallwood Media all participating.
Read more »