Dozens listed as having info in a lawsuit against utility execs
Two former Firstenergy Corp. executives said Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and dozens of other government and business officials likely have “discoverable information” that they’d like to use to defend themselves against a shareholder lawsuit.
Former Firstenergy chief executive Chuck Jones and former senior vice president Mike Dowling, who were fired in October 2020, came up with a long list of people linked to what has bloomed into the biggest public corruption case in Ohio history.
Jones and Dowling and a dozen others are being sued by Firstenergy shareholders in U.S. District Court for allegedly breaching their fiduciary duties, enriching themselves, wasting corporate assets and violating securities laws.
The shareholder case is in the discovery stage, where lawyers investigate and gather evidence.
Husted press secretary Hayley Carducci said: “The lieutenant governor and our office were not aware of this filing. Unfortunately for the filer, the lieutenant governor has no idea what this is referencing.”
Aside from Husted, Jones and Dowling believe discoverable information is held by: Firstenergy managers and board members, Public Utilities Commission of Ohio members and staff, former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, lawmakers who voted for House Bill 6, lobbyist Josh Rubin, political consultant Mike Dawson, and legislative staff members Pat Tully and Frank Strigari.
Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.