Ohio nuclear bribery scandal

The Ohio nuclear bribery scandal was a political scandal in Ohio involving allegations that electric utility company FirstEnergy funneled roughly $60 million through Generation Now, a 501(c)(4) organization purportedly controlled by Larry Householder (the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives), in connection with efforts to pass and defend House Bill 6 and its $1.3 billion ratepayer-funded bailout and related subsidies.

It was described as "likely the largest bribery, money laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people of the state of Ohio" by U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers, who charged Householder and four others with racketeering in July 2020. According to prosecutors, FirstEnergy poured millions into the campaigns of 21 candidates during the 2018 Ohio House of Representatives election, which ultimately helped Householder replace Ryan Smith as Republican House speaker and pass House Bill 6, which increased electricity rates and provided that money as a $150 million per year subsidy for the Perry and Davis–Besse nuclear plants.

In 2021, FirstEnergy paid the U.S. Department of Justice a $230 million penalty to settle criminal charges from the bribery. In 2023, Householder was convicted of racketeering conspiracy and sentenced to 20 years in prison. In 2024, FirstEnergy paid the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission $100 million to settle charges of fraud, misrepresentation, and inadequate internal controls. In 2025, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio ordered FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities to refund $186 million to customers, and pay $64 million in civil forfeiture.


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