Ex-FirstEnergy CEO, top lobbyist, and former top Ohio utility regulator indicted in bribery scandal

New developments in one of the biggest bribery scandals in Ohio history.

Attorney General Dave Yost announced new indictments against two former FirstEnergy executives and a former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo.

Former CEO Chuck Jones and former Senior Vice President of External Affairs Michael Dowling were charged in the combined 27-count indictment for the first time.

This is the second indictment Randazzo was named in.

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Randazzo was first charged in December 2023 on allegations that he accepted bribes from FirstEnergy and helped pass a bailout plan to keep two nuclear plants open.

Two companies controlled by Randazzo, the Sustainability Funding Alliance of Ohio and IEU-Ohio Administration Co., are named in the filing, alleging them to be shell companies created for furthering the former PUCO chairman’s alleged criminal activity.

Randazzo was indicted on 22 felony counts, Jones on 10 felony counts, and Dowling on 12 felony counts.

Sustainability Funding Alliance of Ohio is included in 11 criminal charges.

IEU-Ohio Administration is included in five criminal charges.

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was convicted in this scandal.

He will spend 20 years in federal prison.

These criminal indictments mark the latest development in Yost’s efforts to hold those responsible for the House Bill 6 scandal accountable while saving Ohioans significant taxpayer dollars, according to a media release.