New Ad: FirstEnergy Called Jon Husted Their “Golden Boy.” Ohioans Got the Bill.

Today, WinSenate launched “Testified,” a $5.5 million ad campaign exposing Jon Husted’s ties to FirstEnergy and the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history.

FirstEnergy funneled roughly $60 million in bribes through dark money groups to pass a $1.3 billion bailout for its failing nuclear plants. The company had quietly sent $1 million to a dark money group backing Husted’s run for governor, a payment FirstEnergy’s own records labeled “Husted campaign.” Once Husted was in office as the Lt. Governor, he helped install Sam Randazzo, who was later charged with taking a $4.3 million FirstEnergy bribe, as Ohio’s top utility regulator, and worked behind the scenes to push the bailout through.

FirstEnergy insiders even called Husted their “Golden Boy,”  and when two former FirstEnergy executives went on trial for bribery, Husted testified for their defense.

Ohio families were left footing the bill. FirstEnergy’s schemes cost customers $457.7 million in extra charges, and electric bills have climbed 62% in the state.

“FirstEnergy made a secret million-dollar donation to help Husted’s campaign. He helped them get a billion-dollar bailout,” the narrator says. “And [Ohioans’] electric bills went up 62%. Then their executives got caught and their ‘Golden Boy’ took the stand for them.”

“Testified” will air on broadcast, digital, and streaming across Ohio.

Watch “Testified.”