Results for: Dark Money

Ohio’s Issue 1, a ballot initiative slated for November 5th, is facing fierce opposition from both Republicans and Democrats alike, as it is seen as a blatant attempt by the ‘hard left’ to permanently gerrymander the state’s congressional districts in their favor. This article dives into the controversy surrounding the issue, highlighting the massive amounts of dark money flowing into Ohio from out-of-state leftist organizations and exposing the potential consequences for both the state’s political landscape and the future of American democracy.

Amid the ongoing bribery scandal implicating FirstEnergy Corp., Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has stated that he was unaware of the company’s $4 million in dark money payments towards his 2018 gubernatorial campaign. These payments were made through 501(c)(4) nonprofits that can raise and spend unlimited sums on political advertising without disclosing their donors. Despite these contributions, DeWine maintains his support for nuclear generation in Ohio and places the responsibility for the money’s distribution on FirstEnergy officials.

FirstEnergy Corp. made $2.5 million in secret payments to a dark money nonprofit that backed Republican Mike DeWine’s 2018 gubernatorial run. Dark money non-profit is not accountable to any laws about campaign finance or lobbying, and donors can remain anonymous. According to former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, the former Republican leader, said former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo promised he could deliver on legislative changes FirstEnergy wanted in exchange for the $60 million bribe. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is not content to let this case play out in regular courts.

Recent news in Ohio includes FirstEnergy’s payments to dark money nonprofits supporting Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, an audit highlighting financial concerns at Lakeland Community College, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s request to narrow a lower court’s block on gender-affirming healthcare restrictions, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan’s inquiry into a fatal ATF raid, the Social Security Administration office in Warrensville Heights closing for 90 days due to staff shortages, the Ohio Turnpike’s new tolling system, and upcoming legislative sessions in the Ohio House and Senate.

FirstEnergy Corp. secretly paid $300,000 to a dark money group linked to now-Senate President Matt Huffman at the height of its Statehouse bribery scheme. The payments were made through a series of checks from Partners for Progress, a nonprofit FirstEnergy funded and controlled, to Liberty Ohio, a group FirstEnergy lobbyist Ty Pine referred to as “the Huffman C4.” Huffman has never been implicated in the bribery scandal but has benefited from FirstEnergy’s secret payments.