CLEVELAND — As new documents have become available related to FirstEnergy's bribery scandal, we're learning about payments the company made that benefited the current holders of the highest political offices in the state.
On the May 1 episode of Ohio Has Issues, Mike Polk Jr. and Stephanie Haney dig into the details of FirstEnergy payments to dark money organizations supporting Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman.
To explain what we've learned thanks to a shareholder lawsuit against FirstEnergy, Stephanie and Mike talk with Cleveland.com political reporter Jake Zuckerman. University of Cincinnati political reporter David Niven shares his perspective on why these campaign contributions are concerning, and how it seems unlikely to him that our state's leaders didn't know they were being made for their benefits. Plus, they talk with government watchdog Common Cause Ohio Executive Director Catherine Turcer about what she'd like to see when it comes to campaign finance transparency in the state.
We also get the latest update on what's happening in the Ohio General Assembly related to two anti-LGBTQ+ bills and the long overdue closure of Ohio's marital rape prosecution exemption.
Watch Ohio Has Issues here:
"Ohio Has Issues" is recorded in Cleveland, out of WKYC Studios. New episodes typically stream live every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the WKYC YouTube page and the WKYC+ streaming app. "Ohio Has Issues" is also available wherever you listen to podcasts, with episodes dropping after the livestreamed recording sessions end.
Stephanie is the digital anchor and legal analyst at WKYC. She is licensed to practice law in both Ohio and California.
Mike is an anchor, commentator and editorialist at WKYC. Mike co-hosts "Front Row Friday" with Laura Caso, which airs every Friday at 7 PM on 3News and on WKYC+.
