A 🧵 on yesterday’s indictment, and the BIG question it opens up.
Yesterday, yet another shoe fell in the ongoing saga of Ohio corruption.
The federal indictment announced yesterday lays out the breathtaking (alleged) facts starkly…
WATCH, RT and
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with damning supportive materials:
An insider energy utility lobbyist gets paid a hefty sum—$4.3 million—by a large utility (which later admitted it was indeed a bribe) shortly before being tapped to run Ohio’s utilities commission (PUCO), with an understanding
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that this insider will do what they ask once he’s assigned that oversight role. And…he later does what they ask in events that ultimately amount to the largest bribery scandal in Ohio history.
Here is how the indictment presents the alleged facts:
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Think about these alleged facts: A utility hand-picking and paying a lobbyist with $4.3 million because he oversees the body that regulates it. That is as corrupt gets.
And so damaging to the public interest in so many ways.
But the most damning part of the indictment…
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comes after these facts.
And brings some other important people into this conversation.
People far better known than the guy indicted yesterday, whose name is Sam Randazzo
The most damning part is the TIMELINE of how it all went down, which begs one enormous $4 million?!
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question.
First, take a look at this document.
It makes clear that on December 17 and 18, 2018, Sam Randazzo communicates about the vacancy on the utility commission, then sends a message detailing $4.3M in payments he wants made from 2019-2024.
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Then look at what happens next.
Within a day of the message about the payment, the executives respond that they will pay the entire $4.3M right away. Only 13 days later(!)—Dec. 31–the executives send him the entire $4.3M
Two days later, Randazzo receives it. Happy New Year!
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So—the payment is not only offered but fully paid.
Now look at this document. It shows that Randazzo doesn’t even apply for the position with the utility commission until weeks later—on January 17!
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Think about that: the “Executives” paid Randazzo $4.3M—both agreeing to and letting the full amount out the door—in December.
Not only before he was named to lead the utility commission, but before he even applied!
Which begs the obvious question: how were they…
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…already so confident he’d get the job—before he even applied for it—that they sent him $4.3 million in advance?
Were they really willing to part with $4.3 million—not only as a promise for later, but actually shipping it out the door—on a hope that he’d get picked later?
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That his resume would simply rise to the top?
That his application would impress or that he’d nail the interviews?
Or was someone on the inside, or at the top, of the State’s selection process already giving them assurances—assurances so secure that they were that…
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comfortable parting with $4M?
In other words, did they know parting with the $4.3M wasn’t a risk at all?
Because it was already a done deal? Before he ever applied?
Since most entities aren’t willing to place $4.3 million wagers without knowing the odds…
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common sense answers the question.
But in this case, that common sense is supported by numerous records.
Who are the key decision makers for an appointment such as this?
The newly elected Governor and Lt. Governor, that’s who.
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And who is also all over the broader timeline of events taking place when the payment and appointment are made?
Let’s take a look:
1) Shortly after winning their close race for Governor in November 2018, Mike DeWine and Jon Husted share dinner with…
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First Energy executives, including one directly involved with the bribe
Afterward, the First Energy CEO sends Randazzo a text “indicating they discussed the open PUCO seat,” and that they discussed Randazzo in particular w DeWine/Husted
2) Randazzo later testified publicly about who “recruited” him to serve in the PUCO role: “He specified during the confirmation hearing that Husted and Laurel Dawson, DeWine’s chief of staff, were among those who helped recruit him.”
3) At one point, as they are texting about what becomes a two-appointment plan in January, one of the executives messages another that “Four people in [State Official 1] world” know about the plan.
“State Official 1” is Governor DeWine.
Receipt #3 👇
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Finally, when the appointment runs into trouble because the payment to Randazzo goes public, the executives text one another that they dodged a bullet. Why? Because they “[f]orced [State Official 1/State Official 2] to perform battlefield triage.”
Receipt # 4
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Again, State Official 1 is DeWine.
State Official 2 is Husted.
The duo performed “triage” to save the appointment of Randazzo only weeks after he received the $4.3M. Phew!
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I think this is what we call a pattern:
From beginning to the final appointment, DeWine & Husted are intimately involved. Which would seem to be exactly why the First Energy executives were so certain Randazzo would be selected—$4.3M dollars certain—before he even applied.
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And by the way, as bad as all this looks, it only gets worse.
Because as the indictment explains, Randazzo would indeed ultimately ensure that the legislation at the heart of the entire scandal did make it:
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And speaking of “battlefield triage,” as the ultimate bill is being debated, DeWine’ s team even went so far as to schedule a flight for a legislator on the Governor’s plane to make sure they had enough the votes.
The facts of Ohio’s First Energy bribery scandal provide a perfect case study of how corruption takes hold, and is protected.
So it’s also a good heads up about what we all should be on the lookout for wherever we may live…
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and especially in states with a history of corruption.
And when you look around, the key ingredient keeps reappearing—from how we run schools to how we invest pension dollars.
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That first and essential ingredient to any corrupt scheme like the First Energy scandal is the elimination or takeover of independent oversight structures and functions which otherwise provide essential checks and balance that benefit the public.
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[note: Gov DeWine/LG Husted appointed Randazzo to lead Ohio’s Public Utility Commission; First Energy is the company involved]
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“[C]o-conspirators caused a $4,333,333 payment of money to SFA for RANDAZZO's benefit with the intent and for the purpose that, in return, RANDAZZO would perform official action in his capacity as a public official on PUCO, as requested and as opportunities arose.”
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“RANDAZZO solicited and accepted the $4,333,333 payment from Company A Service Co. to SFA prior to his appointment as a public servant to corrupt and improperly influence RANDAZZO with respect to the discharge of his duty as a public servant with PUCO.”
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I’m a huge Erik Larson fan, having read a number of his narrative history books in recent years.
Somehow, the last one on my pile was “In the Garden of Beasts,” an eyewitness account of developments in Germany in the mid-1930s.
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Given my interest in history, politics and international affairs, it’s odd that that was the final one I hadn’t read.
But now I’m glad that it was.
Because if I’d read it at a different time (it came out in 2011) it would’ve been fascinating and page-turning history.
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But reading it right now takes it way beyond history. It’s about today.
Its content is a clear warning about the ominous storm clouds gathered all around us right now when it comes to hate, violence, lawlessness and the looming threat of fascism and autocracy.
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Gerrymandering is such a poison to our democracy. The root cause of so much that’s happening. We must fix it. And that will take time and relentless activism.
But do you know what makes it even worse?
And is something we can fix NOW?
Read on…
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What makes gerrymandering so much worse is when we reward it by not running in so many places.
By leaving right-wing extremists uncontested.
Everywhere!
That lets them pass extreme laws—often unpopular to the point of being toxic—yet they return to office as if it’s a…
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…reappointment. And not even an elected office.
So of course they’ll do it all again. And again. And again. They’ll go further. Give more public dollars away. Loosen more regulations.
Because as bad as what they do is, as unpopular, they don’t even face an opponent.
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