by J.D. Davidson
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost wants a judge to cut attorneys’ fees by $10 million as ratepayers near a settlement in a class action lawsuit with FirstEnergy.
Yost filed an objection in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio against the lawyers’ plan to receive a third of the $49 million settlement that still needs final approval from Judge Edmund Sargus.
Yost filed his objection on behalf of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Department of Public Safety and the University of Akron. Yost’s plan would give an additional $10 million to ratepayers involved in the lawsuit, while sending $5 million to the lawyers.
A hearing is set for Nov. 9.
“The settlement table was set by my office and the U.S. attorney; now these greedy attorneys are sitting down to dine,” Yost said. “FirstEnergy already shook down Ohio ratepayers. Let’s not let plaintiff attorneys do the same.”
The settlement, if approved, would impact any customer of FirstEnergy, Ohio Edison, the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. or Toledo Edison who paid rates or fees that are related to the House Bill 6 scandal between Jan 1., 2020 and June 22, 2022.
The lawsuits stem from what federal prosecutors have called the largest bribery and corruption scandal in state history.
As previously reported by The Center Square, FirstEnergy agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors in their investigation, admitting it conspired with public officials, others and entities to pay millions of dollars to public officials in exchange for specific official action to help FirstEnergy.
It also admitted it paid millions to an elected state public official through the official’s alleged nonprofit in return for the official pursuing nuclear legislation to FirstEnergy’s benefit.
Former Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder faces federal bribery and racketeering charges in the $60 million scandal that led to the passage of House Bill 6 and a billion-dollar bailout of the state’s nuclear plants.
Householder, who was expelled from the Ohio House, has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence.
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An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square.Â
Photo “Dave Yost” by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Background Photo “FirstEnergy” by DangApricot. CC BY-SA 3.0.
