Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling

Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and former Senior Vice President Michael Dowling are central figures in a major Ohio political corruption scandal involving the passage of House Bill 6. Both were fired by FirstEnergy in October 2020 after the company admitted to participating in bribery schemes. In state court, Jones and Dowling were charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, bribery, telecommunications fraud, money laundering, and records tampering. They were accused of paying a $4.3 million bribe to former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) Chairman Sam Randazzo. In March 2026, the case ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. While the judge previously dismissed two counts of aggravated theft, other charges remain pending. In federal court, the pair was indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for bribery, money laundering, and obstruction, including allegations of orchestrating a $60 million bribery scheme involving former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder. Additionally, in September 2024, the SEC filed a civil suit against Jones for allegedly misleading stockholders. Jones and Dowling have pleaded not guilty to their criminal charges.