Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder Embroiled in Massive Bribery Scandal

FirstEnergy in early 2018 asked the US Department of Energy to intervene in markets by using emergency powers to direct grid operators to buy electricity from coal and nuclear plants.

US President Donald Trump directed then-Energy Secretary Rick Perry to use an independent office of the department's authority in a way that would help plants like those operated by FirstEnergy.

Federal energy regulators rejected those overtures, instead taking up a study of how to make the electrical grid more resilient.

The companies claimed the plants were needed to support state clean energy programs and without those reactors, several states would have had a hard time meeting their clean energy goals.

This month, Exelon Corp's unit ComEd agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a US Department of Justice probe over lobbying practices in Illinois.

Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges and longtime Householder adviser Jeff Longstreth along with lobbyists Juan Cespedes and Neil Clark were also charged on Tuesday.

Larry's office was not available for comment.

(Writers: Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, Timothy Gardner, Scott DiSavino| Editors: Bill Tarrant, Tom Brown, David Gregorio) 

Source: https://uk.reuters.com/article/ohio-corruption/update-2-ohio-house-speaker-4-others-charged-in-60-mln-nuclear-bailout-bribery-case-idUKL2N2ES1FL