The FirstEnergy bribery scandal that came to light six years ago may soon be resolved, at long last.
It was the largest bribery scandal in Ohio political history; most Ohio politicians — not to mention millions of electric rate payers — would like to see one of the most embarrassing and costly episodes in the state’s 223-year history put to rest once and for all.
Two top executives ran the company that paid $61 million in bribes to push through House Bill 6, a nuclear plant bailout that cost Ohio ratepayers over a billion dollars.
A grand jury indicted them, and the state has been preparing for trial.
Now, with a new attorney general to be chosen by Ohio voters in November, it’s an open question whether that trial will go forward or be dismissed and go away without resolution.
The two scheduled to go to trial in January are Chuck Jones, the former chairman of FirstEnergy, and Michael Dowling, a former senior vice president and chief lobbyist for the company.
They are charged with allegedly bribing elected officials to pass House Bill 6. An earlier trial ended up with a hung jury on a 10-2 vote. The state came back with a new indictment, narrowing the focus of the case, after a Summit County judge threw out some of the charges. But the bribery charges remain.
Regardless of whether the case goes to trial in January, the FirstEnergy scandal will be the central issue in the November election of a new Ohio Attorney General.
The Democratic candidate for AG is John J. Kulewicz, a former prosecutor from Franklin County. He told WVXU earlier this week that if he’s elected in November, he will sign on to a January trial.
He said that, of course, the two men are innocent until proven guilty, but added two separate grand juries have indicted them, including the case with a hung jury which was declared a mistrial.
Kulewicz said the millions of Ohio ratepayers who were harmed by picking up the tab for what he called an illegal scheme, deserve an answer in a court of law.
The Republican candidate for Ohio AG is Keith Faber, currently the state auditor and a former state representative from Celina.
Faber has a much different view of this.
We couldn’t reach him for comment, but he has been quoted by numerous news organizations as saying that he would want to consult with the current staff of the AG’s office before deciding whether to move forward with the case.
Faber says he wants to proceed cautiously; he wants to review the files and consult with Attorney General office staff lawyers after the November election. It would be within his power to shut it down, if that’s what he decides to do.
Kulewicz says Faber should recuse himself because of the substantial amount of money he has raised from energy companies. Faber, Kulewicz says, is just laying groundwork for dismissing the case.
Faber and Kulewicz are about as far apart on FirstEnergy as two candidates can possibly be.
Green light for Kulewicz: Proceed at the legal speed.
Yellow light for Faber: Proceed with caution.
The choice for Ohio voters is either push the accelerator pedal lightly or tap the brakes.
Or maybe Ohio voters are ready to just blow through the red light.
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