ProgressOhio

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Following the Money in the Larry Householder Trial

On Day 2 of the Larry Householder Corruption Trial we learned that immediately after a 2017 meeting between top executives of FirstEnergy and the Perry County lawmaker, the company’s political action committee began to send what would eventually amount to $60 million to dark money entities controlled by Householder. The funds helped fulfill Householder’s quest to return to the Speaker’s chair, secure the votes for a $1 billion subsidy of First Energy’s failing nuclear plants, and block a voter referendum designed to overturn the bailout.

But Householder was far from the only Ohio politician to take campaign contributions tied to HB6.

In 2020, after Householder and others were charged with federal corruption charges, ProgressOhio looked at historical campaign contributions from FirstEnergy as well as other entities that ultimately benefited from the taxpayer-subsidized bailout. We found over $6 million in campaign contributions connected to the scheme. You can view all the contributions from scandal-linked individuals and organizations on our website.

Here are some highlights of HB6 scandal-linked campaign contributions worth noting as the trail moves forward:

RecipientHB6 Campaign Contributions
Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted$231,047
Ohio Auditor Keith Faber$144,713
Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman$138,230
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose$130,770
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost$78,866
Ohio State Senator & candidate for US Senate Matt Dolan$64,617

As the trial unfolds over the next 3-5 weeks, we’ll be watching carefully to learn what these individuals did to deserve such generosity from the entities behind House Bill 6. We already know that Governor DeWine signed the bill into law, but his administration was much more involved than that and we’ll continue to document those connections as they come to light.

JD Vance Flip Flops, AGAIN!

Have you seen the news? In an effort to appeal to voters, MAGA Republican candidate JD Vance continues to flip-flop his way through this election to whatever he feels that day.

This time, MAGA extremist JD Vance flip-flops his stance on Social Security and Medicare. Not sure whether he supports these vital senior programs or if he wants to privatize them!

Not only that, his latest finance report also tells us he flip-flopped on his position to not receive corporate pac money for his campaign.

And how could we forget JD Vance’s change of heart for Donald Trump the moment it became politically advantageous for him. Give me a break.

JD Vance’s latest campaign finance report also shows us his campaign is broke and in debt $700k. Even asking donors to help pay down his debt before funding his senate campaign. That doesn’t sound good.

JD Vance is taking a backseat to his campaign but extremist politicians like Vance will say and do whatever they can to win. We’re not gonna let him get away with it. JD Vance is out of touch and in over his head. He has no business representing us in the United States Senate.

Wait…Nazi endorses JD Vance?

We’re serious. MAGA Republican Senate hopeful JD Vance’s latest supporter is none other than Andrew Anglin, an actual Neo-Nazi. In his post, Anglin expressed support and said Vance was “going to change the entire game”.

The Southern Poverty Law Center says that Anglin “…is infamous for the crudity of his language and his thinking, a contrast to his sophistication as a prolific Internet troll and serial harasser.”

MAGA Republican extremists are so out-of-touch they are appealing to leaders of the most anti-American hate group. 

Besides Nazis, JD Vance also secured an endorsement from the Tea Party Express, the nation’s largest Tea Party outside spending group. A group whose former chairman joked about American slavery being a “good gig”. 

We are disgusted and we’re not gonna have it…and neither is Ohio. 

This week, Axios reported that Senator Mitch McConnell’s latest game is to turn 3,000 future Ohio jobs into his political football. Meanwhile, JD Vance remains silent and lacks the courage to stand up to Senator Mitch McConnell. JD Vance certainly doesn’t want to tick off the MAGA Republican machine so he runs scared and caves under pressure. 

Vance’s comments on replacement theory, calling rape an “inconvenience”, and his opposition to the bipartisan infrastructure package are also not doing him any favors among Ohio voters.

Luckily, Tim Ryan’s campaign announced raising $9.1M in Q2! More than doubling the amount raised in Q1. Fueled by over 90,000 new donors with contributions averaging $37.49 per donor, Ryan’s campaign for U.S. Senate is showing momentum.

Whatever up side a Nazi thinks he sees in JD Vance is horrifying and dangerous. MAGA extremist JD Vance is out of touch has no place representing us in the United States Senate.