The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
FBI SEARCHES HOME OF PUCO CHAIRMAN
FBI does not confirm or deny relation to FirstEnergy bribery probe
CLEVELAND» An FBI spokesperson confirmed Monday that agents conducted a search of a Columbus home owned by the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio earlier in the day.
Agents were seen carrying boxes from a home owned by PUCO Chair Sam Randazzo and his wife. The FBI spokesperson declined to provide details about why the home was searched.
PUCO spokesperson Matt Schilling on Monday said the agency has no comment or information about the search and that Randazzo was not available for an interview.
Randazzo was appointed chairman of the PUCO in April 2019 after working for decades as an attorney specializing in public utility law and as a lobbyist. He is considered one of the most knowledgeable experts on public utility law in the state.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine selected Randazzo as chair from a list of four names submitted by the PUCO’s Nominating Council. The state Senate then confirmed his appointment.
The PUCO chair is one of the most powerful positions in state government, wielding
extraordinary influence on mat
ters regarding the regulation of utilities in the state to include utility profits and rates charged to customers. As PUCO chair, Randazzo also is chair of the Ohio Power Siting Board, which has
oversight on approval for new electric-generating facilities.
The search comes nearly four months after the FBI arrested then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others in
connection to a $60 million bribery scheme funded by Akronbased FirstEnergy Corp., which was seeking a $1 billion legislative bailout for its two aging nuclear power plants in the state.
Householder and four others were subsequently indicted on racketeering charges in federal court. Householder has pleaded not guilty.