COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted said they both will comply with subpoenas in the civil lawsuit surrounding the $60 million FirstEnergy bribery scheme. They both received the subpoenas dated Nov. 17.
The civil lawsuit was filed by investors against FirstEnergy. It comes in the wake of the bribery scheme that landed former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder in prison for 20 years.
The civil case subpoenas are seeking documents and any communications the governor and lieutenant governor had with FirstEnergy and others.
"We will happily comply with that and give them all the information that we can," Husted said. "It's a civil lawsuit between the investors and FirstEnergy. If we can help clear it up so we can move this process along, that would be great."
In an earlier statement, Husted's press secretary Hayley Carducci, said "We're aware of the civil investor lawsuit against FirstEnergy. The Lt. Governor has already provided public records pertaining to this, and we will continue to comply as we have done in the past. There's no new information to disclose."
On Wednesday, the governor also said he would cooperate fully.
"We're not a party to the suit, but a subpoena has been issued for information that we might have," DeWine said. "We're going to comply with that subpoena and get that information out as, frankly, as quickly as we can."
DeWine's press secretary, Dan Tierney, said there are no claims against the governor or lieutenant governor in the civil suit. He said they received the subpoenas as fact witnesses.
Tierney also said their legal team is reviewing the subpoena to see what documents or communications do exist related to the subpoena's request, or if the governor's office already provided that information.
"I don't expect anything," DeWine said. "But again, we're going to have to look at exactly what the language is, what they're asking for and we will move from there."
Husted also received a subpoena to give a deposition in the case sometime between Feb. 28 and March 19 of next year. He said he will comply with that, too.
"Yeah. If there's a reason for me to do it, of course," Husted said. "I'm happy to go on the record with it."
Tierney told 10TV the governor has not been asked to give a deposition. He also said no other people in the governor's office have ever received a subpoena in this civil case or in the criminal case.