The death of former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chair Sam Randazzo, who was facing federal and state charges in the House Bill 6 nuclear power plant scandal, has been ruled a suicide by the Franklin County Coroner.
Randazzo was found dead more than a month ago in a warehouse he owned near downtown Columbus. He was serving as the PUCO chair when the billion-dollar nuclear power plant bailout law, House Bill 6, cleared the legislature. FirstEnergy admitted to paying Randazzo a $4.3 million bribe—its subsidiary owned Ohio’s two plants.
Shortly before he died last month, Randazzo was hit with state indictments alongside former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling.
Those were in addition to federal charges he was facing, which came from the same court in Cincinnati where former House Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican, and former Ohio Republican Party Chair Matt Borges were convicted last year. Randazzo pleaded not guilty in federal court in December.
Randazzo had wanted to have the trial moved to Columbus, where he lived. He said in a filing requesting the change of location that he was dealing with health issues and noted that his assets had been frozen by the state so routinely traveling or staying in Cincinnati for the duration of the trial could be difficult.
In March 2021, lobbyist Neil Clark, who was also accused of involvement in the case, died by suicide near his Florida home. Recordings of conversations with Clark and other HB 6 figures were used prominently in the trial in which Householder and Borges were convicted.
If you or anyone you know is in crisis, the National Suicide Hotline can be reached by dialing 988.
