The $4.3 million that Akron-based FirstEnergy paid veteran utility lawyer Sam Randazzo in 2019 is at the center of the latest criminal trial tied to Ohio's sweeping $60 million bribery scandal. Prosecutors allege then-FirstEnergy Corp. CEO Chuck Jones and then-lobbyist Michael Dowling played roles in orchestrating the hefty payout to Randazzo in exchange for regulatory favors he would later deliver to the energy company as Ohio's top utility regulator. Both men have pleaded not guilty to felony corruption charges. They deny all wrongdoing and say the money constituted fees due to Randazzo as part of a long-running consulting arrangement.
