Ohio utility that paid federal penalty says it's now being investigated by a state commission

abcnews.go.com:

A utility company in Ohio says it's being investigated by a state office focused on organized crime in connection with payments to the state’s former House speaker and a top utility regulator

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio-based utility company says it's being investigated by a state office focused on organized crime in connection with payments the company made to the state's former House speaker and a top utility regulator, a news outlet reported Wednesday.

FirstEnergy said in a financial report filed Monday that it had received a subpoena on June 29 from the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, Cleveland.com reported. The commission is a division of the state attorney general's office.

The payments were the focus of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement between the Akron-based firm and federal authorities in which the company agreed to pay a $230 million penalty and cooperate with investigators. The company said in its filing Monday that it had been unaware of the state investigation.

In the federal agreement, FirstEnergy acknowledged having bankrolled former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s political ascendance in exchange for nuclear plant bailout legislation worth more than $1 billion to the company. Householder was convicted by a federal jury in June of racketeering in the $60 million scheme and was sentenced to 20 years. He is appealing. Lobbyist Matt Borges, former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, was also convicted of racketeering and sentenced to the minimum of five years in prison, which he is also appealing.

FirstEnergy also said it paid $4.3 million for favorable treatment to Sam Randazzo, the state’s former top utility regulator, who had ties to the company. Randazzo hasn't been charged and