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Ohio Democrats Release More DeWine Records Connected to the FirstEnergy Bribery Scandal

Latest Round of Records Secured by ODP Raise Questions about Why DeWine Was Meeting with Lawyers, Crisis Communication Team Amid Bribery Scandal

Columbus, OH – Today, Ohio Democrats are releasing the latest round of public records secured from Mike DeWine as the party continues pushing for answers from DeWine on what he knew and when about the largest public corruption scandal in state history. The latest records show that DeWine was often meeting with lawyers, including Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, and a crisis communications team at major dates correlating with the GOP-led FirstEnergy Bribery Scandal that DeWine is increasingly linked to. 

The records raise questions about why DeWine would feel the need to seek legal and crisis communications advice as the scandal unfolded, questions that are especially pressing as DeWine and Husted are confirmed to be “State Official 1” and “State Official 2” in federal court documents. 

  • Ohio Attorney General candidate Jeff Crossman and Ohio Auditor candidate Taylor Sappington are releasing these records on their websites to improve transparency and accountability around the scandal – in direct contrast to their Republican opponents who have done nothing to get answers. 

“For months, Mike DeWine has been dodging accountability when it comes to his role in the largest public corruption scandal in state history, and these records only create more questions than answers. Consulting lawyers and a crisis communication team as the scandal unfolded doesn’t exactly scream innocence. It’s past time for DeWine to tell Ohioans what he knew and when and it’s time for him to come clean now,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.   

Earlier this year, the Ohio Democratic Party announced a lawsuit against DeWine and his office to get answers about what DeWine knew and when about the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio history. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Nan Whaley has called on DeWine, Husted and their administration to release all private emails, text messages and other communications related to the FirstEnergy scandal. 

Since October, Ohio Democrats have been working on getting answers to who knew what and when about the FirstEnergy Bribery Scandal – which Ohioans continue to pay $287,000 every single day for – but have been stonewalled at every turn by the DeWine administration, leaving public records requests unanswered for months. The lack of accountability from DeWine is leading Ohioans to wonder what he’s hiding and why.

See more below on DeWine’s legal and crisis communication meetings as the biggest public corruption scandal in state history was unfolding: 

Friday September 27, 2019

  • Legal Meeting with Matt & Sarah (pg. 2)
    • NOTE: This occurred just days after federal officials secretly recorded Householder and Neil Clark at a dinner club meeting about the referendum.

Monday September 30, 2019

  • Had a phone call with Yost but the reason for the call was redacted. The phone call was to Yost’s cell phone rather than through his office. (pg. 5)

Thursday July 2, 2020

  • Call with Householder (pg. 19)
    • NOTE: This was just weeks before Householder’s arrest

Monday July 6, 2020

  • Two back-to-back meetings with legal. (pg. 20)

Tuesday July 21, 2020

  • DeWine had a legal meeting on the day of Householder’s arrest. (pg. 28)

Friday July 31, 2020

  • DeWine had a meeting with a risk communications team the week after Householder’s arrest. (pg. 34)

Friday September 11, 2020

  • Almost the entire morning was redacted besides a morning briefing and 9/11 moment of silence. That afternoon DeWine had a legal call with the attorney general’s office. (PG. 59-60)

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DeWine Debate Watch: Day 3

Columbus, OH — As debate season starts to ramp up in the closing weeks and days of the election cycle, Mike DeWine has continued to duck committing to debates across Ohio with Mayor Nan Whaley, even as the Mayor has already publicly agreed and challenged DeWine to a number of debates. DeWine also dodged a debate with his primary opponents earlier this year, signaling that he is scared to defend his record to Ohioans, especially since he’s debated political opponents in the past. It’s ‘DeWine Debate Watch’ Day 3, reminding Ohioans that DeWine won’t even try to make his case to them as he seeks re-election to the highest statewide executive office. 

“Mike DeWine clearly knows his record over the last four years of selling out working families in favor of the wealthy and well-connected is not going to be popular with Ohio voters. If DeWine can’t even muster the political courage to tell Ohioans why they should re-elect him, he doesn’t deserve the job and should be held publicly accountable for his cowardice,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes. 

Ohioans deserve answers from DeWine on a number of key issues, including his promise to ‘go as far as we can’ to rip away reproductive rights, his broken promise to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence in Ohio, his connections to the largest public corruption scandal in state history and his role in the failed redistricting process that produced GOP-gerrymandered maps and cost Ohioans millions of dollars. 

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J.D. Vance Changes His Tune On Mitch McConnell As McConnell Allies Launch A $28 Million Rescue Mission

Columbus, OH – After spending the primary bragging that he was “the only person in the Ohio Senate race who’s actually been willing to criticize leadership,” J.D. Vance has changed his tune on Mitch McConnell now that he needs McConnell’s special interest millions to keep his struggling campaign afloat. 

Last year, J.D. Vance went after McConnell, saying he’s “a little out of touch with the base.” Marjorie Taylor Greene even said she endorsed Vance in part because he “won’t hand his voting card over to Mitch McConnell.” 

But now that Vance is relying on a $28 million cash infusion into the race, courtesy of a Mitch McConnell-linked super PAC, he’s stopped criticizing McConnell altogether.

  • Since the primary, Vance has been spotted in D.C. at an NRSC retreat and at the same table as McConnell at a Senate GOP lunch. 
  • When McConnell stood in the way of creating 3,000 jobs in Licking County, Vance issued a tepid both-sides statement refusing to call out McConnell by name. 
  • And now that Trump is going after McConnell for his complaints about the “quality” of Trump-backed candidates (like Vance himself), Vance told Larry Kudlow (at the :35 second mark) that he’s “made peace with anybody who’s going to help us win… it’s time for the Republicans to actually unite.” 

Supporting McConnell is not new for J.D. Vance, after McConnell begged Vance to run in 2018. It’s like J.D. Vance said of himself, “I’m not just a flip-flopper, I’m a flip-flop-flipper…”

“J.D. Vance used to brag about being willing to criticize Mitch McConnell, but now that it no longer suits his political needs, Vance no longer dares speak out against the GOP leader — even to defend himself against McConnell’s criticisms. If J.D. Vance is too much of a coward to stand up for himself when McConnell insults him, how can he be trusted to stand up for Ohioans at all?” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.  

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DeWine Debate Watch: Day 2

Columbus, OH — As debate season starts to ramp up in the closing weeks and days of the election cycle, Mike DeWine has continued to duck committing to debates across Ohio with Mayor Nan Whaley, even as the Mayor has already publicly agreed and challenged DeWine to a number of debates. DeWine also dodged a debate with his primary opponents earlier this year, signaling that he is scared to defend his record to Ohioans, especially since he’s debated political opponents in the past. It’s ‘DeWine Debate Watch’ Day 2, reminding Ohioans that DeWine won’t even try to make his case to them as he seeks re-election to the highest statewide executive office. 

“Mike DeWine clearly knows his record over the last four years of selling out working families in favor of the wealthy and well-connected is not going to be popular with Ohio voters. If DeWine can’t even muster the political courage to tell Ohioans why they should re-elect him, he doesn’t deserve the job and should be held publicly accountable for his cowardice,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes. 

Ohioans deserve answers from DeWine on a number of key issues, including his promise to ‘go as far as we can’ to rip away reproductive rights, his broken promise to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence in Ohio, his connections to the largest public corruption scandal in state history and his role in the failed redistricting process that produced GOP-gerrymandered maps and cost Ohioans millions of dollars. 

Read more here and below from the Chronicle Telegram Editorial Board:

Chronicle Telegram Editorial: DeWine Should Debate Whaley 
Editorial Board
August 30, 2022

  • Nifty as it was for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to drop by the Lorain County Fair on Saturday, he’s still dodging what should be the bare minimum for a gubernatorial candidate: debating his opponent.
  • DeWine, a Republican seeking a second term, has thus far refused to agree to debate his Democratic opponent, former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley.
  • That’s all well and good, but talking to fairgoers and reporters isn’t the same thing as sharing a debate stage with Whaley.
  • A debate would allow the public to see how both candidates respond to questions and push back against each other. It would give voters a chance to hear and evaluate the positions, priorities and promises that each candidate would bring to leading a state of more than 11.7 million people.
  • Whaley suggested that DeWine was trying to avoid hard questions about his pro-life stance on abortion and the alleged bribery scandal surrounding the House Bill 6 nuclear power plant bailout.
  • Regardless of whatever perceived advantage there might be in not debating, voters deserve a chance to compare the candidates and their positions side-by-side.
  • The best format to permit that is a debate.

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“DeWine Debate Watch,” “Weak After Week” And “You Still Didn’t Want The Money:” The Mess Surrounding Mike DeWine’s Campaign This Week 

  August 29, 2022 

Good Monday afternoon, and welcome back to Mike Check, your weekly source of all the infighting, conspiracy spewing and corruption that’s making headlines in and around Mike DeWine’s campaign and statehouse, courtesy of the Ohio Democratic Party. 

Here are some stories you may have missed:

DEWINE DEBATE WATCH. As debate season starts to ramp up in the closing weeks and days of the election cycle, Mike DeWine has continued to duck committing to debates across Ohio with Mayor Nan Whaley, even as the Mayor has already publicly agreed and challenged DeWine to a number of debates. DeWine also dodged a debate with his primary opponents earlier this year, signaling that he is scared to defend his record to Ohioans, especially since he’s debated political opponents in the past. The Ohio Democratic Party is launching ‘DeWine Debate Watch’ today, to remind Ohioans that DeWine won’t even try to make his case to them as he seeks re-election to the highest statewide executive office. 

Ohioans deserve answers from DeWine on a number of key issues, including his promise to ‘go as far as we can’ to rip away reproductive rights, his broken promise to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence in Ohio, his connections to the largest public corruption scandal in state history and his role in the failed redistricting process that produced GOP-gerrymandered maps and cost Ohioans millions of dollars. 

WEAK AFTER WEEK. Mike DeWine continues to show how weak he really is, refusing to take a stand on issues critical to Ohio voters until it becomes politically convenient for him and his special interest pals. Last week was no different when DeWine refused to take a stand on student loan forgiveness. Instead of saying if forgiveness was right or wrong, all DeWine could utter was a weak no comment, saying it was “difficult to be for or against it.” A profile in courage, as always. 

YOU STILL DIDN’T WANT THE MONEY. It’s a day that ends in Y so we know Mike DeWine is trying to plot his next event touting critical funding for law enforcement he initially opposed. Last Thursday, he took his pathetic and shameless “photo op of a Democratic victory” tour to Gallia County, where the American Rescue Plan will provide a much-needed boost to police in southeastern Ohio. Ohioans need to remember, DeWine has repeatedly taken credit for this critical federal money that was passed by Ohio Democrats (without a single Republican on the ballot this fall’s support) and that he’s on the record opposing the cash. Bottom line, DeWine is in trouble, he knows it and he continues to stoop to any level to come off as likable.

Thanks for catching up with us, that’s all the Mike Check we’ve got for this week. Have a great week! 

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