The ongoing investigation of House Bill 6 and trial of former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) chairman Sam Randazzo has shed new light on the cozy relationship between the former regulator and First Energy. Court records filed last Friday show the close relationship the former PUCO chair had with executives at First Energy. This includes attending Christmas parties with FirstEnergy executives, sending memes celebrating the passage of bills benefiting the energy company, and most infamously, Randazzo dressing as a superhero (pictured above) and texting the picture to FirstEnergy’s then-senior Vice President of External Affairs Michael Dowling among others. Randazzo is accused of being paid $4.3 million to work on FirstEnergy’s behalf to save the utility money and pass House Bill 6, which bailed out two FirstEnergy-owned nuclear power plants. Randazzo is also accused of skimming money off side deals he crafted between utilities, including FirstEnergy and American Electric Power, and his large industrial user clients. 4/02/2024