AKRON, Ohio -- In a quarterly earnings report released Thursday afternoon, FirstEnergy CEO Charles Jones said his company “acted ethically” in connection with efforts to pass House Bill 6 that federal prosecutors say were fueled by bribery.
“We intend to cooperate fully with the Department of Justice investigation involving the Ohio Speaker of the House, and we will ensure our company’s involvement in supporting HB 6 is understood as accurately as possible,” Jones said. “I believe that FirstEnergy acted ethically in this matter. At no time did our support for Ohio’s nuclear plants interfere with or supersede our ethical obligations to conduct our business properly. I believe the facts will become clear as the investigation progresses.”
A criminal complaint filed Tuesday accuses Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others of taking $60 million in bribes from FirstEnergy in order to secure legislation that would bail out the utility’s two nuclear plants in Ohio.
Neither the company nor Jones have been charged with a crime.
The Akron-based company had previously declined to substantively comment on the investigation, issuing a statement Tuesday that only said the company had received subpoenas and intended to fully cooperate.
FirstEnergy’s second-quarter earnings, which amounted to $309 million, compared to $308 million in second-quarter 2019. The company’s stock dropped this week after the announcement of the arrests.
Jones is expected to update investors about company earnings and the investigation during a teleconference call scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.
Editor’s note: This story previously said Jones made his comments during a call with investors. He made the comments in a quarterly earnings report.