Chair Walters Details Deep GOP Connections to FirstEnergy Bribery Scandal as Top Republicans Go to Trial
January 19, 2023
Columbus, OH – Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters hosted a virtual press conference to detail the deep connections between Ohio Republicans and the FirstEnergy Bribery scandal ahead of Monday’s trial in federal court. While disgraced former Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges are the ones on trial, several prominent Republicans remain closely connected to the scandal.
“Over the coming days and weeks, we’ll hear about the misdeeds of Larry Householder and Matt Borges. But the scandal reaches much deeper within the Ohio Republican Party, including current elected officials with higher political ambitions,” said Chair Walters.
For example:
Dave Yost
- Yost’s Campaign manager was Matt Borges, who Yost once called the ‘wise man of Ohio politics,’ and who is set to go to trial for his role in the scandal.
- Yost has not taken meaningful legal action to go after his friends in the Ohio Republican Party.
- Yost received a subpoena to testify in the trial.
Matt Dolan
- Voted for HB 6
- Said he would vote for it again in 2020 to Cleveland.com
- FirstEnergy’s dark money group gave $85,000 to Matt Dolan’s dark money group, who then tried to distance himself from the group.
Frank LaRose
- FirstEnergy donations in 2018: more than $25,000
- FirstEnergy remains in top 20 of his donors
- Continues to fundraise with groups like Strategy Group that were instrumental to HB 6
Mike Carey
- Gave $100,000 to Larry Householder’s dark money group through Murray Energy
- FirstEnergy executives texting about donations from Murray Energy wrote: “Mike Carey has all the paperwork.”
Ohio Republican Party Donations
- The Ohio Republican Party has collected $87,500 since beginning of 2018 and refuses to give that money back or donate it to charity.
###