Since winning his first election as Clark County prosecutor in 1976 Gov. Mike DeWine has held Ohio political office nearly continuously.
But he still has a lot to learn according to the revelations in the 50-page indictment released Monday by the Organized Crime Investigations Commission.
The task force probing for state law violations in connection to the FirstEnergy Bribery case that has already produced federal convictions of Former House Speaker Larry Householder and Former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges, brought multiple felony charges against former FirstEnergy CEO Charles Jones, Lobbyist Michael Dowling, and former Public Utilities of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo.
Governor DeWine’s naivete, or worse, is revealed by the support for Mr. Randazzo as PUCO chairman by FirstEnergy. Mr. Randazzo’s utility regulation experience was as a lawyer representing the Industrial Electricity Users of Ohio. Mr. Randazzo was hired by the largest Ohio manufacturers to represent them in negotiating against FirstEnergy. Advocacy for a Randazzo appointment by the utility he was opposing should have been highly suspicious to the long-experienced governor.