House Bill 6

The House Bill 6 scandal is a $61 million dark-money bribery scheme - the largest public corruption case in Ohio history.
In April 2019, the Ohio legislature introduced House Bill 6, a bailout for Ohio’s two failing nuclear power plants operated by FirstEnergy that also gutted the state’s renewable energy and efficiency standards and included subsidies for two old, dirty coal plants operated by the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation. The bill passed by one vote in July, 2019.

Vote NO on HB6 rally (2019)

Almost exactly one year later, news broke that the FBI and US Attorneys uncovered a $61 million bribery scandal perpetrated by FirstEnergy Corporation, former House Speaker Larry Householder, former Public Utilities Commission (PUCO) Chairman Sam Randazzo, and their associates. After years of investigations, indictments, and trials, Larry Householder is serving the maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The scandal and Householder’s trial have exposed deep corruption in the state’s political system and has damaged public trust in Ohio’s government. The trial has also raised questions about the role of money in politics and the influence of special interests on the legislative process. While the HB 6 provisions gutting Ohio’s renewable energy and efficiency standards remain in place, the OVEC coal subsidies that cost ratepayers millions every day were finally repealed in House Bill 15 in 2025.

Ohio Citizen Action was a vocal opponent of House Bill 6 since it was introduced. We provided opposition testimony in legislative committees, knocked on doors, conducted letter writing campaigns, and even helped collect signatures for an effort to repeal HB 6 at the ballot. We sponsored virtual town halls, completed social media campaigns, and worked tirelessly to see portions of the bill repealed slowly over time by the legislature. In 2022, we launched the “Crime with DeWine” accountability campaign calling for Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Husted to reject all campaign contributions received from regulated electric utilities.

House Bill 6

The House Bill 6 scandal is a $61 million dark-money bribery scheme - the largest public corruption case in Ohio history.
In April 2019, the Ohio legislature introduced House Bill 6, a bailout for Ohio’s two failing nuclear power plants operated by FirstEnergy that also gutted the state’s renewable energy and efficiency standards and included subsidies for two old, dirty coal plants operated by the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation. The bill passed by one vote in July, 2019.

Vote NO on HB6 rally (2019)

Almost exactly one year later, news broke that the FBI and US Attorneys uncovered a $61 million bribery scandal perpetrated by FirstEnergy Corporation, former House Speaker Larry Householder, former Public Utilities Commission (PUCO) Chairman Sam Randazzo, and their associates. After years of investigations, indictments, and trials, Larry Householder is serving the maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The scandal and Householder’s trial have exposed deep corruption in the state’s political system and has damaged public trust in Ohio’s government. The trial has also raised questions about the role of money in politics and the influence of special interests on the legislative process. While the HB 6 provisions gutting Ohio’s renewable energy and efficiency standards remain in place, the OVEC coal subsidies that cost ratepayers millions every day were finally repealed in House Bill 15 in 2025.

Ohio Citizen Action was a vocal opponent of House Bill 6 since it was introduced. We provided opposition testimony in legislative committees, knocked on doors, conducted letter writing campaigns, and even helped collect signatures for an effort to repeal HB 6 at the ballot. We sponsored virtual town halls, completed social media campaigns, and worked tirelessly to see portions of the bill repealed slowly over time by the legislature. In 2022, we launched the “Crime with DeWine” accountability campaign calling for Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Husted to reject all campaign contributions received from regulated electric utilities.