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Attorney General Adds Randazzo, Jones To Corruption Civil Suit

By Andy Chow

Published August 5, 2021 at 8:17 PM EDT

FBI agents carry boxes out of the Columbus home of Public Utilities Commission Chair Sam Randazzo in Nov. 2020. [Dan Konik / Statehouse News Bureau] — An FBI agent stands in front of the Columbus home of Sam Randazzo as another agent carries a box to a waiting vehicle.

Attorney General Dave Yost (R-Ohio) has amended his civil suit filed against FirstEnergy and former House Speaker Larry Householder to include former Public Utilities Commision of Ohio Chair Sam Randazzo and former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones.

The attorney general is seeking restitution from Randazzo, Jones, and former FirstEnergy vice president Michael Dowling. Yost says they engaged in crimes including extortion, money laundering and intimidation while trying to enrich themselves.

Yost says it's important to send a message.

"That if you do this in Ohio, it will ruin you. You will be caught and you're going to pay a price that is so high there will be nothing left of your career," Yost said.

FirstEnergy says it paid Randazzo a $4.3 million bribe in return for help with their nuclear bailout when he became PUCO chair. Randazzo says that's not true.

The suit already names former House Speaker Larry Householder, former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges, and Energy Harbor (former subsidiary of FirstEnergy that operates Ohio's two nuclear power plants).

The suit aims to keep all defendants out of public office for eight years.