Former FirstEnergy execs on trial in Ohio over $60M bribery scheme linked to nuclear bailout.

A criminal trial is underway in Akron, Ohio, against former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, who face felony corruption charges over a $60 million bribery scheme tied to the 2019 $4.3 million payment to lobbyist Sam Randazzo, shortly before his appointment to Ohio’s Public Utilities Commission. Prosecutors allege the payment secured regulatory favors for House Bill 6, a $1 billion nuclear bailout, while Jones and Dowling deny wrongdoing, claiming it was part of a legitimate consulting agreement. Randazzo, who died by suicide in 2024 after pleading not guilty, is no longer testifying. The case stems from a broader federal investigation that led to former Ohio Speaker Larry Householder’s 20-year prison sentence. The trial, which began in February 2026, includes testimony from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and former Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, and the defense plans to call up to 58 witnesses.