It’s been more than four years since federal prosecutors uncovered one of the largest public corruption scandals in Ohio history, involving FirstEnergy and state lawmakers. While the U.S. Department of Justice sent former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to prison for taking a bribe, the DOJ has yet to charge any FirstEnergy executives involved in the $1.3 billion bailout scheme. FirstEnergy has admitted that its executives paid off public officials, but the federal government seems content to stop with the politicians, leaving the bribe payers untouched. For a series of stories this weekend, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer interviewed dozens of sources close to the case, many of whom believe the DOJ is done with its work. But why hasn’t the department pursued the corporate leaders behind the bribery? There are, of course, many theories, from legal complexities to a reluctance to pursue tough cases. In the meantime, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is stepping in, filing state charges against some of the key corporate figures. Without further action from the federal government, however, questions about accountability for corporate misbehavior in Ohio continue to loom large. — Leila Atassi |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Browns vs. Dallas Cowboys: Deshaun Watson and Browns’ new offense sputter in 33-17 beatdown by the Cowboys in season opener Guardians at Los Angeles Dodgers: Dodgers blank Guardians, 4-0, as Jack Flaherty shuts down Cleveland’s offense again Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunny, warm and windy |
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Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones, center, and top lobbyist Mike Dowling, seated at the far right, as well as the state’s former ranking utilities regulator Sam Randazzo, at left, appear in court in February for their arraignment in Summit County Common Pleas Court. (David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com file photo) |
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Uncharged and untouchable? The U.S. Department of Justice maintains that two FirstEnergy executives bribed two public officials -- a position never backed up with indictments after more than four years, report Jake Zuckerman and Adam Ferrise. Is the DOJ content to let the bribers walk? FirstEnergy lawyers up: Akron-based FirstEnergy has hired 11 former prosecutors, including several former high-ranking U.S. Department of Justice officials, to defend itself against several criminal and civil cases, report Adam Ferrise and Jake Zuckerman. Matt Borges wants a break: Once a well-paid lobbyist and Ohio GOP chairman, Matt Borges is now serving a five-year sentence for racketeering by way of bribery. He says he's been improperly classified as a violent offender, which precludes him from serving his time at a minimum-security prison, reports Jake Zuckerman. Cleveland’s blue exodus: The Cleveland Division of Police had more officers leave its ranks than any other department in the state during a one-year period examined by cleveland.com. Reporters Lucas Daprile and Olivia Mitchell set out to learn why. Police response: The time it takes Cleveland police to respond to violent crimes continues to increase as the force struggles with the loss of officers. City records show the average time for officers to arrive for high-priority calls earlier this summer was more than 12 minutes, nearly 90 seconds longer than last year, reports Olivia Mitchell. The complexity of Middletown: JD Vance built his political career on the success of "Hillbilly Elegy," his 2016 memoir that highlights the hardships of his hometown in southwest Ohio and his take on their causes. Now, eight years later, as Vance seeks to move from Republican U.S. senator to vice president, the reality in Middletown— like many similar communities — is complicated, reports Sabrina Eaton. Today in Ohio: Gov. Mike DeWine told reporters this week that Intel Corp.’s financial troubles won’t interfere with the company’s plans to build a $20 billion microchip factory outside of Columbus, which is believed to be the largest economic development project in state history. On Today in Ohio, we’re talking about DeWine’s attempts to reassure Ohioans that the project is still a go. |
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Vance on school shootings: Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance on Thursday argued the U.S. needs to bolster security at schools while lamenting this week’s school shooting in Georgia as a “fact of life.” He called the shooting an “awful tragedy” while saying “that’s increasingly the reality we live in.” Ohio schools safety memo: Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday sent a memo to Ohio’s K-12 schools to remind them of state safety resources in the wake of last week’s school shooting in Georgia that resulted in four deaths. The memo highlighted the Ohio School Safety Center, a program created by DeWine that helps track threats on social media, conduct security training and more, reports Andrew Tobias. House GOP lawsuit tossed: An Ohio appeals court on Thursday threw out a legal challenge to House Speaker Jason Stephens’ control over the state GOP House Republican’s campaign fund, reports Jeremy Pelzer. The appeals court also threw out an injunction preventing Stephens from spending money in the account, unraveling a July legal win filed by Stephens’ rivals from within his own caucus. More marijuana licenses coming: There are 123 marijuana dispensaries in Ohio serving both the recreational and medical markets – and more dispensary licenses are on the way, reports Laura Hancock. A total of 121 companies have applied for the next phase of Ohio’s recreational dispensary licensing, most of which are located in the state’s largest suburbs, according to the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control. |
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Attorneys for kids: Cuyahoga County juvenile judges recently changed how they assign attorneys for youth who can't afford them, but judges don't agree with the new system and want more discretion, reports Kaitlin Durbin. T-shirt sale honors student: The Mayfield High School cheerleaders are hosting a T-shirt sale in honor of late student Calvin Clark, who died May 6 at age 15 after a battle with brain cancer. The cheerleaders will sell Cal-themed shirts at the Mayfield vs. Canton-Jackson football game on Sept. 13, with proceeds going toward Give Kids The World Village, a nonprofit resort that supported Cal and his family during his cancer journey. Lakewood Skatepark: The second phase of construction is underway on Lakewood Skatepark, the city announced Friday. The project, which has been in fundraising and development stages since 2008, will add a bowl and other features, with construction expected to be completed in the spring, Cory Shaffer reports. Chemical fire investigation: Firefighters on Friday continued to extinguish and investigate a chemical fire at an Akron business that was reported shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, Lucas Daprile reports. The fire led to several small explosions throughout Thursday, with nearby residents temporarily evacuated and one firefighter hurt at the scene. |
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Grant for SIDS research: Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals received a five-year, $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to fund research into the causes and prevention of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS. The new research could lead to identifying warning signs for children at risk of SIDS and how to prevent the worst from happening, Julie Washington reports. |
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Homicide: A man is dead and another man has been arrested after an argument turned into gun violence Friday afternoon, Cleveland police said. The 52-year-old man has not been publicly identified in the incident that happened in the area of West 44th Street and Hyde Avenue in the city’s Clark-Fulton neighborhood, police said. Charges are pending against the 33-year-old male suspect, Kaylee Remington reports. Bond set for boy’s death: A judge on Friday set the bond at $5 million for a Cleveland man accused of driving an SUV that struck and killed a 7-year-old boy as he rode his skateboard in a parking lot. The man, 32-year-old Donald Mynatt, was arrested last week by federal marshals in Willoughby. He is accused of leaving the scene of an accident involving death. |
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Here we go, Brownies: The Browns season got off to a rough start on Sunday. Still, there are plenty of games ahead for fans to watch and hope for better outcomes. Alex Darus rounds up 17 high-energy bars in Northeast Ohio to cheer on the Browns. Avril Lavigne: A steady downpour may have complicated Avril Lavigne’s “Greatest Hits” tour stop at Blossom Music Center on Friday, but the rain didn’t seem to dampen the sold-out crowd’s spirit or stop anyone from having a good time, Joey Morona reports. Best breakfast: Chelo’s Kitchen in South Euclid is tied for first place in the cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer “Best of” readers’ poll, write Peter Chakerian and Yadi Rodriguez. The menu features American diner fair with a Latin twist, including a house favorite chorizo burrito and breakfast quesadilla. House of the Week: This week’s House of the Week is a five-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom lakefront home listed for $3.4 million in Avon Lake, Joey Morona reports. The home includes a sauna, rec room, wine room and tasting room, with outdoor amenities including a heated saltwater pool, a lakeside seating area, and a pavilion with an outdoor kitchen. ‘Dracula’ coming to Cleveland: The Cleveland Ballet will perform “Dracula” and “The Masque of Red Death” in its first show for the 2024-25 season on Oct. 18-19 at Playhouse Square’s Mimi Ohio Theatre. Members of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra will perform under the baton of Carl Topilow, reports Paris Wolfe. |
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Increased Berea police patrols reduce Coe Lake vandalism Read more Woofstock 2024 is a doggone good time (photos) Read more Southwest General Emergency Safety Education Fair draws Middleburg Heights crowd Read more New Kent State hall an innovative hub for business education Read more At Beachwood council meeting, city says goodbye to retiring police Chief McLaughlin, hello to new Chief Grispino Read more University Heights’ Mayor Brennan says University Square redevelopment can now proceed, will be renamed Bell Tower Center Read more Orange Schools to celebrate ‘100 years of excellence’ Read more |
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