This week, reporting from Cleveland.com’s Jeremy Pelzer found that years after the House Bill 6 scandal, Ohio’s Public Utilities Commission (PUCO) continues to face scrutiny over claims it pressures outside auditors to soften reports critical of utilities. Testimony and documents show PUCO staff have urged auditors to dilute or delete findings regarding companies such as FirstEnergy, AEP Ohio, and Duke Energy, often before reports are made public.

Allegations echo issues tied to former PUCO chair Sam Randazzo, accused of taking millions in bribes from FirstEnergy before his death in 2023.

Audits in question involve hundreds of millions in customer charges, from grid modernization fees to subsidies for aging coal plants. 7/21/2025