‘Boom’: FirstEnergy exec text revels in landing state plane

CINCINNATI (AP) — New details have emerged at former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s federal corruption trial on the use of the state plane scheduled to retrieve out-of-town state lawmakers for a vote on the now-tainted nuclear bailout legislation. Text messages presented in U.S. District Court on Thursday showed Householder sharing the plane’s schedule with the group and then-FirstEnergy Corp. vice president Michael Dowling appearing to revel that Gov. Mike DeWine’s then-chief of staff, married to a FirstEnergy consultant, had approved the expense: “Mike Dawson’s wife. Boom.” Mike Dawson declined comment. DeWine’s spokesperson said Dowling and FirstEnergy weren’t involved in the plane’s deployment.