Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Thursday that a grand jury has reindicted two former FirstEnergy Corp. executives, Charles “Chuck” Jones and Michael Dowling, in connection with the state's $60 million bribery scandal. The new indictment includes 22 criminal counts, following a mistrial earlier this year.
Jones, the former CEO, and Dowling, the former top lobbyist, face charges including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, conspiracy, and tampering with evidence. Jones also faces two counts of obstructing justice, while Dowling faces 14 additional counts of tampering with records. The case centres on a $4.3 million payment made to Sam Randazzo in 2019, shortly before his appointment as chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Prosecutors allege that Jones and Dowling orchestrated the payment to secure regulatory and legislative favours, including help drafting House Bill 6, which contained a $1 billion bailout for two FirstEnergy-affiliated nuclear plants. Both executives were fired in October 2020 for violating company policies.
The new indictments come as legal teams seek acquittals after a six-week trial ended in a mistrial in March. Yost stated that investigators have new information from a civil lawsuit against FirstEnergy. The indictment alleges a large-scale covert scheme between 2010 and 2021 to bribe state officials and advance FirstEnergy's interests.
Dowling's legal team criticised the timing of the new indictment, noting it comes days before Yost leaves office and ahead of oral arguments on motions for acquittal. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is already serving a 20-year sentence for his role in the scheme.
