COLUMBUS — Two fired FirstEnergy Corp. executives have been indicted in connection with a $60 million bribery scheme.
NOTE: This article has been updated to include not guilty pleas by Jones and Dowling.
Republican Attorney General Dave Yost announced the indictments of former CEO Chuck Jones and former senior vice president Michael Dowling Monday, along with additional state charges against ex-Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chair Sam Randazzo.
“Shout it from the public square to the boardroom, from Wall Street to Broad and High: Those who perversely seek to turn the government to their own private ends will face the destruction of everything they worked for,” Yost said.
The three face a combined 27 felony counts for alleged roles in a scheme centering on FirstEnergy bribes paid to then-House Speaker Larry Householder in exchange for the passage of House Bill 6, nuclear plant bailout legislation.
“The announcement of these state indictments is long overdue and should be a sobering call to action for state officials to address the lingering political and consumer damage done by HB 6 and the politicians who put bribes and illegal profits over the people,” House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington).
Jones and Dowling pleaded not guilty Tuesday.