The scandal that made the Republican former Speaker of the Ohio state House one of the most unpopular politicians in American history expanded after a reporter noticed a fascinating admission in a regulatory filing.

“A previously unnoticed disclosure by FirstEnergy Corp. says the millions of dollars the company says it paid to someone shortly before they were hired as a top state utility regulator led to that person taking actions on the company’s behalf in their new state job,” Andrew Tobias reported for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “In densely-worded legal disclosures filed in November, the Akron-based company said the $4.3 million payment the company made in January 2019 led to ‘conduct corresponding to such payment,’ and to that person ‘acting at the request or for the benefit of FirstEnergy as a consequence of receiving such payment.’”

“The company said the payment was a ‘noncompliance’ event that violated its terms with banks that lend it money, as was conduct by FirstEnergy officials ‘during the time period after such payment during […]