Gov. DeWine dark money memory: Darcy cartoon [Video]

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Governor Mike DeWine claims to have been totally in the dark about FirstEnergy plugging in more than $4 million in ‘dark money’ contributions to his and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted’s campaign.

The contribution’s became public in ongoing litigation over the FirstEnergy bribery scheme to pass HB6, the Ohio House Bill bailout of FE’s nuclear power plants. DeWine and Husted backed HB6.

‘Dark money’ means contributions to 501 (c)(4) nonprofit groups that are allowed to raise unlimited funds without having to disclose names of donors.

“Both candidates for governor came out with basically the same position, that nuclear energy was important. You’d have to ask those [FirstEnergy] individuals. They were the ones who made the decision. Obviously, we want as much help as we can in a campaign. But contributing to an independent expenditure, we don’t have that information,” said Gov. DeWine who defeated Nan Whaley, the former Mayor of Dayton.

Then …