Ex-Ohio Speaker of the House Indicted in $60 Million Bribery Scheme

Columbus, Ohio United States of America
Larry Householder, the imprisoned ex-Ohio Speaker of the House, was indicted on 10 new charges in connection with a bribery scheme that provided $60 million in secretly funded FirstEnergy cash to get Republican candidates elected and pass a tainted energy bill. The two fired FirstEnergy executives, Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, were also indicted for their alleged roles in the scheme.
Ex-Ohio Speaker of the House Indicted in $60 Million Bribery Scheme

Larry Householder, the imprisoned ex-Ohio Speaker of the House, was indicted on 10 new charges in connection with a bribery scheme that provided $60 million in secretly funded FirstEnergy cash to get Republican candidates elected and pass a tainted energy bill. The two fired FirstEnergy executives, Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, were also indicted for their alleged roles in the scheme.


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Confidence

95%

Doubts
  • It is unclear if any other politicians or individuals are involved in the bribery scheme.

Sources

71%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Former Ohio House Speaker Hit With 10 Additional Felony Charges

The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Michael Wines Tuesday, 26 March 2024 01:06
  • Unique Points
    • Larry Householder was indicted on 10 more state felony charges in connection with a bribery scheme that provided a $1.3 billion bailout to FirstEnergy Corporation.
    • The two men charged with funneling $4.3 million in bribes to Mr. Randazzo were Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, both former executives of the Akron-based utility.
  • Accuracy
    • Larry Householder served two separate terms as speaker and held county office.
    • The charge could be dropped in three years if the company complies with the terms of the deal.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that Larry Householder faces '10 more state felony charges' without providing any context or information about what those charges are. Secondly, the author quotes a former executive of FirstEnergy Corporation as saying that they were charged with funneling $4.3 million in bribes to Sam Randazzo, but does not provide any evidence or details about this claim. Thirdly, the article uses selective reporting by only mentioning Larry Householder's conviction for accepting $60 million in bribes and failing to disclose loans, debts, legal fees and gifts from lobbyists in ethics statements required of members of the state legislature. The author does not provide any information about other charges or convictions against Mr. Householder or his co-defendants.
    • The article uses sensationalism by stating that Larry Householder faces '10 more state felony charges' without providing any context or information about what those charges are.
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains several logical fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Ohio Organized Crime Commission produced indictments against two former executives of FirstEnergy Corporation and Larry Householder's defense was paid for with $750,000 from a campaign account. Secondly, there is inflammatory rhetoric used when describing the case as 'the largest political scandal in Ohio history'. Thirdly, there are dichotomous depictions of Larry Householder and Sam Randazzo being convicted on bribery charges while Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling pleaded not guilty to similar charges. Lastly, there is a fallacy by omission when the article does not provide any evidence or context for why FirstEnergy Corporation was in need of a bailout.
    • The Ohio Organized Crime Commission produced indictments against two former executives of FirstEnergy Corporation and Larry Householder's defense was paid for with $750,000 from a campaign account. This is an appeal to authority fallacy as the author presents this information without providing any evidence or context.
    • The case is described as 'the largest political scandal in Ohio history'. This is inflammatory rhetoric as it exaggerates the significance of the case and creates a strong emotional response in readers.
    • Larry Householder was convicted on bribery charges while Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling pleaded not guilty to similar charges. This is an example of dichotomous depiction fallacy as it presents two opposing views without providing any context or evidence for why the outcome was different for each person.
    • The article does not provide any evidence or context for why FirstEnergy Corporation was in need of a bailout.
  • Bias (85%)
    The author uses language that dehumanizes Larry Householder by referring to him as a 'former speaker of the Ohio State House of Representatives' who is now serving a 20-year federal prison sentence. The use of this phrase implies that he was once an upstanding member and his current situation is undesirable, which could be seen as biased.
    • Larry Householder, already serving a 20-year federal prison sentence,
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
      The author has a conflict of interest on the topics of Larry Householder and Ohio State House of Representatives. The article mentions that FirstEnergy Corporation paid $60 million in bribes to Sam Randazzo who was then appointed as Public Utilities Commissioner by Governor John Kasich, which allowed FirstEnergy to pass legislation favorable to its interests.
      • The article mentions that FirstEnergy Corporation owns nuclear power plants owned by a subsidiary of the utility, as well as two coal-fired electric plants and solar energy projects.
        • The author writes: 'First Energy Corp. paid $60 million in bribes and other illegal gifts between 2017 and 2019 to Sam Randazzo, who was then appointed as Ohio’s public utilities commissioner by Gov. John Kasich.'

        80%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        FirstEnergy to pay $230M in agreement in Ohio bribery case

        The Associated Press News Friday, 23 July 2021 18:46
        • Unique Points
          • FirstEnergy Corp. admitted to using dark money groups to fund the effort
          • The charge could be dropped in three years if the company complies with the terms of the deal
          • Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel called the $230 million penalty probably the largest ever secured by his office.
          • Half of the $230 million penalty will go to the federal government and other half will be paid to a program that benefits Ohio's regulated utility customers
          • Under the agreement, FirstEnergy also must make public any new corporate payments it's aware of that were intended to influence a public official and continue an internal makeover of its ethics practices.
          • Prosecutors say the company used dark money groups as a mechanism to conceal payments for the benefit of public officials in return for official action.
        • Accuracy
          • FirstEnergy Corp. admitted to using dark money groups to fund the effort, and agreed to pay $230 million and other conditions so prosecutors won't forge ahead with a criminal case against the company.
          • The charge could be dropped in three years if the company complies with the terms of the deal, such as continuing to cooperate with investigators looking into kickbacks to officials, who included Ohio House speaker Larry Householder and a lobbyist who would become state's top utility regulator.
        • Deception (80%)
          The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the energy giant at the center of a $60 million bribery scheme in Ohio admitted to using dark money groups to fund the effort and agreed to pay $230 million and other conditions so prosecutors won't forge ahead with a criminal case against the company.
          • The article states that FirstEnergy Corp. was charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, which means there is an accusation of defrauding people of services, not of property or money.
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (85%)
          The article contains examples of monetary bias and religious bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes those who disagree with the company's actions, such as calling them 'public officials'. Additionally, the use of dark money groups to fund political campaigns is a clear example of monetary bias.
          • The statement by FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman:
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
            FirstEnergy has a history of bribery and corruption in Ohio. The company paid $230 million to settle charges related to a bribery scheme involving former House Speaker Larry Householder.
            • FirstEnergy transferred $2 million of money from Partners for Progress, an organization it controlled, to Generation Now, which was also involved in the bribery scheme.
              • Larry Householder and four associates were arrested for their involvement in the scandal
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              76%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              Imprisoned ex-Ohio Speaker Householder indicted on 10 new charges, one of which bars him from public office

              Fox News Media Associated Press Tuesday, 26 March 2024 11:51
              • Unique Points
                • Larry Householder served two separate terms as speaker and held county office.
                • The fresh indictments brought by the state extend action in what was already the largest corruption case in state history.
              • Accuracy
                • The charge could be dropped in three years if the company complies with the terms of the deal.
              • Deception (80%)
                The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Householder was convicted of racketeering for his role orchestrating a $60 million bribery scheme funded by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. However, the sentence he received was 20 years and not life imprisonment as stated earlier in the article.
                • The sentence Householder received is incorrectly stated to be life imprisonment when it is actually 20 years.
              • Fallacies (85%)
                There are two fallacies found in this article. The first is an appeal to authority and the second is a dichotomous depiction.
                • . “This case seeks to hold Mr. Householder accountable for his actions under state law, and I expect that the results will permanently bar him from public service in Ohio,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in announcing the indictments.
                • The dark money group used to funnel FirstEnergy money, Generation Now, also pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge in February 2021.
              • Bias (85%)
                The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes Larry Householder by referring to him as 'the imprisoned ex-Ohio House Speaker'. This is an example of using extreme or unreasonable language to depict one side. Additionally, the author quotes a statement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost which states 'I expect that the results will permanently bar him from public service in Ohio.' This implies that there may be other charges against Larry Householder and it is not clear if this is true. The use of such language to depict one side as extreme or unreasonable, without providing any evidence to support these claims, makes the article biased.
                • The author uses language that dehumanizes Larry Householder by referring to him as 'the imprisoned ex-Ohio House Speaker'.
                  • The use of such language to depict one side as extreme or unreasonable, without providing any evidence to support these claims, makes the article biased.
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication
                  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication

                  83%

                  The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                  (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                  A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                  Fired FirstEnergy execs indicted in $60 million Ohio bribery scheme; regulator faces new charges

                  The Associated Press News Monday, 12 February 2024 16:39
                  • Unique Points
                    • Two fired FirstEnergy executives, Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, were indicted in relation to their alleged roles in a $60 million bribery scheme.
                    • Sam Randazzo was also indicted on 11 counts related to allegations he accepted bribes from Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. in exchange for regulatory favors.
                  • Accuracy
                    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
                  • Deception (100%)
                    None Found At Time Of Publication
                  • Fallacies (85%)
                    The article contains several examples of logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the actions of Jones and Dowling have undermined confidence in state governments, the rule of law, and very nearly made them even richer men than they already are. This statement is not supported by any evidence or reasoning provided in the article. Additionally, there are several examples of inflammatory rhetoric used throughout the article to describe Jones and Dowling's actions as a
                    • Their actions over a period of years have undermined confidence in state governments, the rule of law, and very nearly made them even richer men than they already are.
                    • For more than three years, a false and unfair narrative has surrounded Chuck Jones and other current and former employees of FirstEnergy
                    • It is shocking that a public prosecutor's office would return an irresponsible indictment
                  • Bias (85%)
                    The article contains examples of bias in the form of political and religious bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes those involved in the bribery scheme by referring to them as 'check writers' and 'masterminds'. This is an example of using loaded language to paint a negative picture. Additionally, there are quotes from politicians who use inflammatory language such as calling the actions of Jones and Dowling undermining confidence in state governments and the rule of law. The article also contains examples of religious bias by referring to Randazzo's role as chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) which is a government agency, but it is described as if it were a religious institution. This creates an unfair comparison between PUCEO and other institutions that are not considered 'religious'. Overall, while there may be some examples of bias in this article, they are relatively minor compared to the overall content.
                    • The actions over a period of years have undermined confidence in state governments
                      • There can be no justice without holding the check writers and the masterminds accountable.
                      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                        None Found At Time Of Publication
                      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                        None Found At Time Of Publication