Republicans plan big spending to keep Ohio’s Senate seat. A bribery scandal adds to their challenges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio Republican Jon Husted, who is trying to retain his U.S. Senate seat this fall, has been unable to escape the shadow of a $60 million bribery scandal that has roiled state politics. more than five years.

Husted recently called to testify as a defense witness relevant criminal case may have to repeat the testimony of two former energy managers after a while jury hung It led to a mistrial in the case in March. A judge in Akron scheduled the retrial to begin Sept. 28; That means Husted could take the witness stand a week before early voting begins for the November election.

The former lieutenant governor and Ohio secretary of state has never been accused or accused of any wrongdoing. But extensive public records emerging from the scandal have raised questions about Husted’s relationships with key players indicted or imprisoned under the scheme, which revolved around the passage of a law. $1 billion rescue package for the state’s two nuclear power plants.

It’s too early to know whether Husted’s involvement in the case will create political liability for the first-term senator. is expected to face Sherrod Brown, Democrat He was expelled from the Senate in 2024.

In a potential sign of concern, Senate Republicans’ main super political action committee, the Senate Leadership Fund, recently announced plans to spend $79 million on Husted’s behalf. That’s roughly a quarter of planned national spending in eight tightly contested Senate races.

Husted says he had no role in bailout

When asked what role he played in the 2022 bailout legislation known as House Bill 6, Husted said, “None.” He has reiterated this stance many times since then, even though the evidence revealed in the case raised questions about his involvement.

Crowded calendars that came to light during the latest hearing involving executives of Akron-based FirstEnergy showed a series of additional meetings or phone calls with former CEO Chuck Jones and the state’s former administrator. senior associate editorAlong with then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Household, who has since died. They formed the triangle of influence at the center of the plan laid out by federal prosecutors. Husted’s calendars were obtained by the Ohio Capital Journal through a public records request and reviewed by the Associated Press.

Jones and former FirstEnergy lobbyist Michael Dowling have been indicted for their alleged roles in the bribery scandal and will be retried in the fall. Landlord serving 20 years in prison Sentenced in 2023 Regulating FirstEnergy-owned plan accepted to do insurance.

The interactions noted in Husted’s calendars were around that time rescue bill is developed and transferred. Evidence presented in several cases showed that Jones and Dowling discussed Husted’s push for additional subsidies in the legislation.

Husted has consistently denied playing a role in creating the law and having any knowledge of criminal activity surrounding the bill.

“My role was very clear. I wanted to keep the nuclear plants running,” Husted said in an interview with NBC4 in January. He said it’s “about keeping these facilities open and keeping the lights on for millions of Ohioans.”

Husted was referenced in a text exchange regarding subsidy negotiations

In June 2019, Jones sent Dowling screenshots of a conversation he had with Householder in which he suggested Husted was working on behalf of FirstEnergy to extend the duration of nuclear plant subsidies from six to 10 years.

Jones urged the Householder to “bargain hard” for the 10-year subsidies or he would have to revisit the issue before his speakership ends. “Ugh, that adds $600 million,” Household wrote of an additional amount that had not been previously reported. The bill called for charging Ohio taxpayers $150 million a year in nuclear subsidies.

“Husted called me 2 nights ago and was supposed to get the Senate version of this,” Jones replied.

“He’s not a legislator,” Household responded of Husted, then the lieutenant governor.

“I know, but he said Senate leaders would listen,” Jones replied. “He didn’t surrender.”

The texts were part of the evidence collected in Householder’s criminal case. When Husted was previously asked about the trades, he insisted they did not prove he was part of the deal.

When asked about the texts at an unrelated press conference in 2024, Husted said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We weren’t involved.”

Cases arising of public service donations benefiting Husted

A longtime Ohio lobbyist told federal agents that FirstEnergy and FirstEnergy Solutions, the subsidiary that owns the nuclear power plants helped by the bailout, funneled dirty money to nonprofits that benefited Husted and Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.

Lobbyist Neil Clark identified one of the groups as Freedom Frontier, according to notes from a previously unreported Justice Department interview obtained by The Associated Press. This was the same group that received a $1 million contribution flagged internally by FirstEnergy in 2017 As a “quick campaign”. The donation was brought to light in documents filed in a lawsuit filed by FirstEnergy shareholders and obtained through a records request by cleveland.com. Husted was running for governor at the time.

Black money It refers to political contributions to certain nonprofit organizations whose donors are not required to be publicly disclosed. Coordination between these groups and candidate campaigns is generally prohibited by federal law.

Internal FirstEnergy communications from 2017 and 2018, evidence in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, include discussions of Jones, Dowling and others attending Husted events dating back to 2016. They also reflect Dowling’s concerns about public disclosure of dark money contributions.

Jones and Dowling also discussed strategies for contributing under alternative names. For example, in July 2018, when the two were planning a DeWine-Husted fundraiser in Naples, Florida, they discussed contributing under one name while covering event expenses under another; thus “no costs will be charged to the campaign.”

Husted declined a request to comment further on details that emerged as various lawsuits related to the bribery scandal emerged.

“Senator Husted has made extensive statements to the media, testified under oath, and has nothing further to add,” said spokesman Josh Eck.