COLUMBUS — Former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo was found dead Tuesday.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Randazzo, 74, was found dead inside a building in downtown Columbus just before noon, WBNS and AP reported.
>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Ex-FirstEnergy CEO, top lobbyist, and former top Ohio utility regulator indicted in bribery scandal
This comes months after he pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with a $60 million bribery scheme.
The charges he faced included bribery, theft, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with records and money laundering.
Randazzo resigned in November 2020 after FBI agents searched his Columbus townhome and FirstEnergy revealed in security filings that it had paid him $4.3 million for his future help at the commission a month before Gov. Mike DeWine nominated him as Ohio’s top utility regulator, WBNS and the AP reported.
Randazzo’s death is being treated by the coroner’s office as a suspected suicide.
©2024 Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/OPHP2W76HRE4RFMTO2VDQHEKVE.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/Y72SMCMBAVE2QQBOO2JTGO6Y2I.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/GT6DPMLSABAL3F5IE5FZUKRWQM.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/UYWI6PO7WBDZDG77HWVJLEPRBY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LJQLJFNAENHJZNWJGCDXXPKLBI.jpg)