Former judge named PUCO chair

Mar. 19—COLUMBUS — Former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jenifer A. French was named chairman of the powerful Public Utilities Commission of Ohio by Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday.

"She has no history in the industry, which in this unique period of time is an asset," the governor said during a speech at the City Club of Cleveland.

Ms. French, a Westerville Republican, replaces Sam Randazzo, a former lobbyist for large industrial power consumers and a consultant for Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. He resigned abruptly in November not long after the FBI searched his home.

The governor had picked him for the powerful regulatory post despite his known ties to the industry.

In a U.S. Securities Exchange Commission filing, the utility revealed a $4 million payment to terminate a consulting contract with someone who met Mr. Randazzo's description at a time the utility and state were working on a $1 billion bailout of two nuclear power plants owned by what was then a FirstEnergy subsidiary.

Two individuals and a nonprofit corporation have already pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges in connection with a $61 million Statehouse bribery scheme. Still facing charges are former House Speaker Larry Householder (R., Glenford) and former Ohio Republican Party chairman and lobbyist Matt Borges.

Mr. DeWine said Friday he would not intervene in the Ohio House of Represenatives' current consideration of whether to remove Mr. Householder from his seat representing a largely rural district east of Columbus.

A third charged person, powerful Columbus lobbyist Neil Clark, was found dead in Florida earlier this week with a gunshot wound to his head and a handgun nearby. The death is under investigation.

FirstEnergy and related entities are believed to be the deep pockets fueling a "dark money" nonprofit organization. The money was used to help elect legislators loyal to Mr. Householder in 2018, help elect him speaker in 2019, pass the House Bill 6 bailout law, and then kill a petition effort to subject it to voter referendum.

Among other names submitted for Mr. DeWine's consideration were Virginia King of Perrysburg, assistant general counsel of Marathon Petroleum Co.; Daniel Shields, director of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel's analytical department; and Melissa Shilling, chair of the state Environmental Review Appeals Commission.

Recently, Mr. DeWine reappointed Dennis Deters, a former appellate judge and Hamilton County Common Pleas judge, to another seat on the five-member commission.

There will be three years left in Ms. French's term when she assumes the post. She served six years on the Franklin County bench.

"As a judge, Jenifer French was known for studying all of the complex facts, and sorting through them to come to a just conclusion," Mr. DeWine said. "Her experience will be valuable as she leads the PUCO."

Rachael Belz, director of the Ohio Consumers Power Alliance, expressed disappointment the governor did not pick someone with a consumer advocacy background.

"Ohioans deserve better than what we got with Sam Randazzo," she said. "We deserve an energy policy that is not clouded by corruption and lies. We offer our congratulations to Ms. French and urge her to bring dignity, transparency, and the consumer perspective back to the PUCO. We urge her to provide a fresh start."

First Published March 19, 2021, 1:27pm