AKRON, OHIO — On March 31, 2026, a jury in Akron reported an impasse in the trial of former FirstEnergy Corp. CEO Chuck Jones and former senior vice president Michael Dowling. The judge said she will consider a mistrial motion at a later time.

The two former FirstEnergy executives were charged with felony corruption, bribery, conspiracy and aggravated theft for paying $4.3 million to the state's future top utility regulator. Prosecutors alleged that Jones and Dowling bribed Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chair-to-be Sam Randazzo in exchange for legislative and regulatory favors.

The defense argued that the payment was part of a legal settlement. Randazzo and another lobbyist who faced criminal charges died by suicide.

The charges stem from a broader $60 million bribery scheme. In 2021, under a non-prosecution agreement, FirstEnergy admitted to underwriting the scheme.

The scheme involved multiple political figures. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder used scheme funds to help elect political allies and passed a bailout bill. Householder ran a campaign using deceptive tactics to defend the bailout bill against a citizen referendum.

In 2023, Householder was sentenced to 20 years in prison for racketeering. Matt Borges, a lobbyist and former chair of the Ohio Republican Party, was sentenced to five years in prison related to the scheme.

Two political operatives initially charged in the scheme pleaded guilty. A dark money group admitted in court filings that it served as a conduit for the scheme's funds.