FirstEnergy Charged in Coal and Nuclear Bailout Bribery Scheme

Columbus, OH - Today, FirstEnergy entered into a deferred prosecution agreement for its role in the criminal endeavor behind the passage of the Ohio House Bill 6 and nuclear bailout (HB6), a scheme federal prosecutors referred to as likely the largest bribery, money-laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people in the state of Ohio.

In response, Neil Waggoner, Senior Campaign Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Ohio, released the following statement:

“What remains of House Bill 6 must be repealed. FirstEnergy’s criminal corruption is a disgrace to Ohioans and a brazen disregard of the democratic process. FirstEnergy’s actions were part of a long standing business practice to use customers' dollars to secure power, influence, and regulatory decisions that benefited the Company and its shareholders at the expense of those same customers who were footing the bill. 

"$230 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the incalculable cost from a loss in trust in the elected officials and regulators who are supposed to safeguard against corruption. It is up to Gov DeWine and the Legislature to re-earn public trust. They must take action now to create and shore up utility accountability, transparency, and consumer protections against the possibility of future utility corruption and influence. If they do not, it will be a clear signal to the FirstEnergy's of the world that Ohio is open to their malfeasance.”