"An upcoming audit could reveal whether FirstEnergy improperly used ratepayer money to funnel millions of dollars to an alleged unlawful conspiracy to pass and defend the state’s coal and nuclear bailout law.

The Dec. 30 audit order by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio came the same week that the Ohio House of Representatives made available documents suggesting that former PUCO Chair Sam Randazzo provided more input on House Bill 6 and other legislative matters beyond his testimony in open hearings.

The PUCO’s new audit order is one step in a range of actions that the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel first sought four months ago. The order came nine days after three former PUCO commissioners asked Gov. Mike DeWine for an even broader investigation and more than a month after Randazzo’s resignation."

Kathiann M. Kowalski reports for Eye on Ohio January 6, 2021. [2]