Audit Recommends $6.6M Refund for FirstEnergy Customers Due to HB 6-Related Spending

A third-party audit report has found FirstEnergy charged Ohio ratepayers millions in undocumented spending, including for payments the company made to a dark money group tied to the House Bill 6 scandal. The audit report — part of four ongoing proceedings being conducted by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to investigate FirstEnergy’s HB 6 activities — only looked into 17 payments specifically flagged by FirstEnergy.

According to a PUCO news release, the auditing firm recommends that ratepayers be refunded $6.6 million — and that $7.4 million be excluded from the company’s next base rate case in 2024.

Gongwer News Service reports the audit also found FirstEnergy lacked sufficient documentation for millions more in other payments, including $14 million to firms owned by Sam Randazzo, the former PUCO chair. Last month, FirstEnergy admitted attempting to bribe Randazzo. 8/3/2021