To join this class action, please complete the following Investor Certification.   [contact-form-7 id=”1586″ title=”American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NYSE:  AEP) Investor Certification”]

Oklahoma City, OK (August 21, 2020) – On August 20, 2020, a securities class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio against American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NYSE: AEP).  The complaint alleges violations of federal securities laws, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, including allegations of issuing a series of material or false misrepresentations to the market which had the effect of artificially inflating the market price during the Class Period, which is November 2, 2016 through July 24, 2020.  More specifically, the lawsuit alleges throughout the Class Period Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company covertly participated in the “the largest public corruption case in Ohio history”; (2) the Company secretly funneled substantial funds to Ohio political organizations and politicians to bribe politicians to pass Ohio House Bill 6, which benefitted the Company and its coal-fired generation assets; (3) the Company partially funded a massive, misleading advertising campaign in support of HB6 and in opposition to a ballot initiative to repeal HB6 by passing substantial sums through a web of dark money entities and front companies in order to conceal the Company’s involvement; (4) the Company aided in subverting a citizens’ ballot initiative to repeal HB6; (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ Class Period statements regarding the Company’s regulatory and legislative efforts were materially false and misleading; (6) as a result of the foregoing, the Company would face increased scrutiny; (7) the Company was subject to undisclosed risk of reputational, legal and financial harm; (8) the bribery scheme would jeopardize the benefits the Company sought by HB6; (9) as opposed to the Company’s repeated public statements regarding a move to clean energy, it sought a dirty energy bailout; (10) as opposed to the Company’s repeated public statements regarding protection of its customers’ interests, the Company sought an extra and state-mandated surcharge on its customers’ bills; and (11) as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all American Electric Power Company, Inc. shareholders who purchased common stock during the Class Period and are therefore a member of the Class as described above.  You may move the Court no later than Monday, October 19, 2020 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the entire Class.  However, in order to do so, you must meet certain legal requirements pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

If you wish to discuss this action, obtain further information and participate in this or any other securities litigation, or should you have any questions or concerns regarding this notice or preservation of your rights, please contact:  Robin Hester at rkh@federmanlaw.com