Wednesday, December 16, 12noon-1pm, this event will be on-line

Governmental ethics, transparency, and accountability took center stage a few months ago when Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Larry Householder was discovered to have accepted a $60 million bribe from FirstEnergy in exchange for passing H.B. 6, a $1.3 billion bailout for the struggling nuclear power operator. The bailout was described as “likely the largest bribery, money laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people of the state of Ohio” by U.S. Attorney David M. DeVillers, who charged Householder and four others with racketeering. Additionally, the FBI raided the Columbus home of Public Utilities Commission Chairman (PUCO) Sam Randazzo in mid-November. While the exact purpose of the warrant and raid remain unknown, it is suspected to be in relation to the H.B. 6 scandal.

Common Cause Ohio, the League of Women Voters, and The City Club of Cleveland are partnering to host a series of virtual events focused on transparency and accountability in the Ohio Statehouse. In November, Common Cause Ohio launched a three-night virtual speaker series geared towards educating Ohioans on issues of whistleblowing, strengthening lobbyist and ethics laws, and shining a light on dark money.

As a continuation of these critical discussions, The City Club of Cleveland is hosting a follow-up discussion with three speakers from the Common Cause virtual events series on what structural changes need to be made to increase accountability and transparency at the Ohio Statehouse.

Panelists:

• Ned Hill, Ph.D., Professor of Economic Development, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University

• Kedric Payne, General Counsel and Senior Director of Ethics, Campaign Legal Center

• Catherine Turcer, Executive Director, Common Cause Ohio

This panel discussion will be moderated by Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau.

Please use this link to join this event.

The livestream will be available beginning at 12noon. Have questions? Tweet them at @TheCityClub or send a text to 330-541-5794.

Hosted by The City Club of Cleveland, League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland, League of Women Voters of Ohio, and Common Cause Ohio.