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Judge Keeps Jury Question Secret in FirstEnergy Bribery Trial
The latest question from jurors deliberating the case of two former FirstEnergy executives accused of a $4.3 million bribery scheme will remain confidential.
Mar. 27, 2026 at 1:33pm
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A Summit County judge has decided to keep the latest jury question in the trial of two former FirstEnergy executives secret from the public. The judge cited the high-profile nature of the case and the need to protect the jury's deliberations as reasons for withholding the question. The jury has been deliberating for seven days in the case against former CEO Chuck Jones and ex-lobbyist Michael Dowling, who are accused of bribing a state utility regulator with $4.3 million.
Why it matters
This case is part of a larger scandal surrounding FirstEnergy's efforts to secure a $1.3 billion bailout for two nuclear power plants through bribery and political influence. The judge's decision to keep the latest jury question secret highlights the sensitivity and complexity of the case, which has already resulted in convictions of a former state lawmaker and penalties for FirstEnergy.
The details
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross wrote in a late Thursday order that she believed she needed to keep the jury's fourth question secret from the public because of the public interest in the case. Jones and Dowling are accused of bribing Sam Randazzo with $4.3 million shortly before Randazzo was appointed chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Prosecutors say after the bribe, Randazzo helped draft legislation that gave a $1.3 billion bailout to two aging nuclear power plants owned by a FirstEnergy subsidiary.
- The jury began its seventh day of deliberations on Friday.
- Randazzo was initially charged in the case but died by suicide in April 2024.
The players
Susan Baker Ross
A Summit County Common Pleas judge overseeing the trial.
Chuck Jones
The former CEO of FirstEnergy who is on trial.
Michael Dowling
The former top lobbyist for FirstEnergy who is on trial.
Sam Randazzo
The former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio who was initially charged in the case but died by suicide in 2024.
Larry Householder
The former Ohio House speaker who was found guilty in 2023 of taking $60 million in FirstEnergy money to ensure the passage of House Bill 6 and beat back a repeal effort.
What they’re saying
“Thus, the Court finds the withholding of the Question and transcripts set forth herein from the media or any outside parties until the jury has finished deliberating is the least restrictive means to protect the jury's deliberations, prevent possible risk of jury tampering, minimize the risk of a mistrial and to protect the rights of the parties to a fair trial.”
— Susan Baker Ross, Judge
What’s next
The judge will decide whether to allow the jury question to be made public once the jury has finished deliberating.
The takeaway
This high-profile bribery trial is part of a larger scandal surrounding FirstEnergy's efforts to secure a $1.3 billion bailout through unethical means. The judge's decision to keep the latest jury question secret highlights the sensitivity and complexity of the case, which has already resulted in convictions and penalties for the company.
