Ohio Attorney General adds new defendants to FirstEnergy bribery lawsuit

Filing adds new ‘significant players’ to racketeering lawsuit

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost added new defendants to a bribery and racketeering lawsuit connected to FirstEnergy and former Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Larry Householder.

The new defendants include Charles Jones, the former CEO of FirstEnergy; Michael Dowling, former senior vice president for FirstEnergy; and former Public Utility Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo.

“This is the justice system working, holding bad actors accountable,” Yost said. “To restore public trust, everyone involved in this sordid matter needs to pay a price. The goal is to leave no doubt – among politicians, the powerful and the rich – that engaging in public corruption will ruin you.”

The new filing also seeks to recover a $4.3 million bribe FirstEnergy reportedly paid to Randazzo to help draft House Bill 6.

Yost claims Jones, Dowling and Randazzo were “significant players” in the enterprise. The lawsuit includes civil charges of pattern of corrupt activity, civil damages for criminal acts and damages for reputable harm.

About the Author