Gov. Mike DeWine aide who ran FirstEnergy-funded dark money group resigns

Dan McCarthy

Dan McCarthy (governor.ohio.gov)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A top aide to Gov. Mike DeWine with ties to a dark-money group implicated in the ongoing FirstEnergy bribery scandal resigned Friday.

Dan McCarthy, DeWine’s legislative director, submitted his letter of resignation effective Friday, citing a need to “take a break” from the intensity of Statehouse negotiations. A spokesman for DeWine said Deputy Legislative Director Aaron Crooks will be promoted to McCarthy’s former position.

“Before taking this job, I talked to five of my predecessors in this role, and they all told me to make a one-year commitment and definitely not more than two because of the pace and grind,” McCarthy wrote in the letter. “They were right. I know I’ve run quite a bit over my two-year commitment but I think now is the right time to resign as your Legislative Director.”

McCarthy has drawn public scrutiny over the past year due to his close association with FirstEnergy, which recently admitted to its role in a $60 million bribery scheme to pass a ratepayer-funded bailout of two formerly owned nuclear facilities.

McCarthy was formerly a lobbyist for FirstEnergy and headed Partners for Progress, Inc., a dark-money group backed by FirstEnergy that donated to Republican former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, who, along with four associates, was charged with racketeering by federal authorities in 2020.

Householder has maintained his innocence as he awaits trial, though two allies and a Householder-linked political nonprofit have pleaded guilty to their roles in the bribery scheme.

McCarthy was president of Partners for Progress from 2017 through late 2018 when he resigned, joining DeWine’s administration shortly after. He previously said he was not aware of any illegal activities during his time at Partners for Progress.

McCarthy is the second high-level staffer in DeWine’s administration with connections to FirstEnergy to leave their job in the past year. Former chief of staff Laurel Dawson transitioned to a senior adviser role in May.

DeWine has consistently defended his staff, though he did not provide a comment on McCarthy’s departure. Neither McCarthy nor Dawson have been accused of any wrongdoing by federal authorities.

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