Jury can’t reach verdict in corruption trial of 2 ex-FirstEnergy executives in $60M bribery scandal

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jurors said they can’t reach a verdict in the trial of two fired FirstEnergy Corp. executives in a $60 million bribery scheme in Ohio.

A jury in Akron said Friday it was at an impasse in the trial of former CEO Chuck Jones and former senior vice president Michael Dowling. They were charged with felony corruption, bribery, conspiracy and aggravated theft for paying $4.3 million to the state’s future top utility regulator.

Prosecutors said Jones and Dowling bribed Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chair-to-be Sam Randazzo for legislative and regulatory favors. The defense had argued the payment represented an above-board legal settlement. The judge said she will consider a mistrial motion at a later time.

As part of a non-prosecution agreement in 2021, FirstEnergy had already admitted to underwriting the $60 million scheme in which former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder elected allies, secured power, passed the bailout bill and then used a dirty-tricks campaign to defend it from a citizen referendum.

Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison for racketeering in 2023 for orchestrating the scheme. Lobbyist and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges got five years. Two political operatives who were among those initially charged pleaded guilty and a dark money group admitted in court to serving as a conduit for the cash. Randazzo and a different lobbyist who also faced criminal charges died by suicide.