Texts released in 2024 allegedly show Jon Husted, then Ohio's lieutenant governor, helping lead FirstEnergy's push for House Bill 6, the $1 billion bailout at the center of the largest corruption scheme in state history; Husted has never been charged with or accused of any wrongdoing, the Associated Press reported, and he denies knowing the bill was the result of bribery. HB 6's coal-plant subsidy has cost Ohio ratepayers nearly $500 million.
As a senator, Husted voted for the GENIUS Act, the stablecoin law that state prosecutors say fails to protect fraud victims, against an amendment "To prevent cryptocurrency corruption," and against barring taxpayer money to refit the jet Qatar gave the President. He voted to confirm the Justice Department officials who signed the settlement of the President's lawsuit against the IRS, and the SEC chair whose agency dropped its case against Binance.
Jon Husted's Record on FirstEnergy, Crypto and the Officials He Confirmed
- Texts Allegedly Show Husted Helping Lead FirstEnergy's Push for HB 6; He Has Not Been Charged or Accused. Text messages released in 2024 allegedly show Lieutenant Governor Husted working with FirstEnergy executives on House Bill 6, the 2019 law at the center of the bribery scheme in which FirstEnergy spent $61 million dollars in exchange for H.B. 6. In a June 2019 text, FirstEnergy's then-CEO Chuck Jones wrote of the subsidy term, "Husted called me 2 nights ago and was supposed to get it in the Senate version". Husted has never been charged with or accused of any wrongdoing and denies knowing House Bill 6 was the result of bribery. Former House Speaker Larry Householder, who led the scheme, is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
- Husted Voted for the Stablecoin Law Prosecutors Say Leaves Fraud Victims Unprotected. On June 17, 2025, Husted voted yes on the GENIUS Act, which passed 68-30 and set the first federal rules for stablecoins. New York Attorney General Letitia James and four district attorneys wrote in January 2026 that the law fails to protect victims of fraud, CNN reported. The Trump family's World Liberty Financial stablecoin, USD1, saw its market cap grow from $128 million to nearly $2.7 billion, according to a House Judiciary Democrats' staff report.
- Husted Voted Against an Amendment 'To Prevent Cryptocurrency Corruption' in June 2025. On June 30, 2025, during the votes on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Husted voted no on waiving the budget rules for an amendment whose stated purpose was "To prevent cryptocurrency corruption," which failed 47 to 53. By then 764,000 wallets of mostly small holders have lost money on $TRUMP, the President's meme coin, CNBC reported, citing Chainalysis.
- Husted Voted Against Barring Taxpayer Money for the Qatari Jet in October 2025. On October 9, 2025, Husted voted no on an amendment "To prohibit the use of funds to procure or modify foreign aircraft for presidential airlift," which failed 46-50 under a 60-vote threshold. The Air Force retrofitted the 747 Qatar gave the President after it had estimated it would cost less than $400 million to retrofit the gift, and Trump first flew it on July 1, 2026, ABC News reported.
- Husted Voted to Confirm the Justice Department Officials Who Signed the Trump-IRS Settlement. On March 5, 2025, Husted voted to confirm Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general, and on October 7, 2025 he voted to confirm Stanley Woodward as associate attorney general. Both signed documents in the May 2026 settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the IRS, which a federal judge found "was brought for an improper purpose". The settlement's provision that permanently bars the IRS from pursuing tax claims against Mr. Trump, his oldest sons and his company remains in place, CBS News reported.
- Husted Voted to Confirm the Attorney General Who Scaled Back Foreign-Influence and Corporate Enforcement. On February 4, 2025, Husted voted to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general. In her first days Bondi is limiting criminal enforcement of a foreign agents registration law, CNN reported, and within two weeks 3 top U.S. prosecutors resign over order to drop Eric Adams case, the corruption case against New York's mayor. Public Citizen counts more than 200 corporations whose enforcement actions the administration has canceled or frozen.
- Husted Voted to Confirm an SEC Chair Tied to Crypto Industry Groups, Whose Agency Dropped the Binance Case. On April 9, 2025, Husted voted to confirm Paul Atkins as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Public Citizen lists his ties as "Patomak Global Partners LLC, SEC, Digital Chamber, Token Alliance", crypto-industry groups among them. Trump's SEC and Binance filed a joint motion to dismiss on 5/29/25 the agency's case against the exchange, and Trump later pardoned Binance's founder, Changpeng Zhao, on October 21, 2025.
- Husted Said He Had No Role in HB 6, Then Said His Role Was to Keep the Nuclear Plants Open. Asked in 2022 what role he played in the bailout legislation, known as House Bill 6, Husted answered "None." In a January 2026 NBC4 interview he said, "My role was very clear. I wanted the nuclear power plants to remain operational." Calendars released during a 2026 trial showed additional meetings or calls between Husted and FirstEnergy's CEO, the state's top utility regulator and the House speaker while the bill was being developed, the Associated Press reported, and Husted has never been charged with or accused of any wrongdoing.
What HB 6, the Law at the Center of the Scandal Tied to Jon Husted, Cost Ohio
- Electric bills. HB 6's subsidy for two old coal plants was charged on Ohio electric bills, and the charge has cost Ohio ratepayers nearly $500 million, the law firm Bricker Graydon wrote in March 2025.
- Campaign money. A FirstEnergy spreadsheet released in 2024 shows $1 million went from FirstEnergy to the conservative group Freedom Frontier in 2017 with "Husted campaign" noted as the reason, and the group backed Husted during his 2017 primary campaign for governor, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jon Husted on Corruption and conflicts
What is Jon Husted's record on corruption and conflicts under Trump?
Jon Husted, as Ohio lieutenant governor, appears in texts that allegedly show him helping FirstEnergy pass HB 6, though he has never been charged or accused, and the law's coal subsidy cost Ohio ratepayers nearly $500 million. In the Senate he voted for the GENIUS Act, against a crypto-corruption amendment and against barring money for the Qatari jet, and he confirmed the officials who settled the President's IRS lawsuit and dropped the Binance case.
Was Jon Husted charged in the FirstEnergy bribery scandal?
No. Jon Husted has never been charged with or accused of any wrongdoing in the HB 6 scandal, the Associated Press reported in April 2026. He was called to testify as a defense witness in the criminal trial of two former FirstEnergy executives, and Householder, who led the scheme, is in prison.
Did FirstEnergy give money to support Jon Husted?
A FirstEnergy spreadsheet shows a $1 million payment in 2017 to Freedom Frontier, a group that backed Jon Husted's campaign for governor, with "Husted campaign" noted as the reason.
Last updated: 2026-10-25