A Summit County jury was unable to reach a verdict in the trial of former FirstEnergy senior vice president of external affairs Michael J. Dowling after more than a week of deliberations following a seven-week trial.
The case centered on a 2019 payment of $4.3 million to an entity associated with regulatory attorney Samuel Randazzo. Prosecutors alleged wrongdoing tied to the payment, while defense attorneys argued it was part of a legitimate settlement agreement involving the Industrial Energy Users of Ohio, a trade association representing large industrial electricity consumers.
Dowling’s attorney, Steve Grimes, said the outcome supports the defense’s position.
“The state had years to prepare for this case and seven weeks to argue it, it’s time for Mike to be a free man,” Grimes said. “The facts are clear that Mike didn’t do anything wrong. We shouldn’t let egos get in the way of commonsense and due process.”
The jury consisted of seven women and five men. During the trial, jurors heard testimony from 30 witnesses and reviewed approximately 600 exhibits related to events dating back to 2015, when the settlement agreement at issue was negotiated in connection with an Electric Security Plan pursued before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Defense attorneys argued the payment stemmed from that earlier settlement involving Randazzo’s clients and was not improper. They also contended that internal actions by FirstEnergy’s board and legal advisors led to misunderstandings about Dowling’s role.
John McCaffrey, another attorney for Dowling, thanked the jury and the court following the decision.
“We appreciate the jury’s attention to the evidence and their service as jurors on this complicated case,” McCaffrey said. “We are also grateful to Judge Susan Baker Ross who presided over a complex trial.”
The court has not announced next steps in the case, including whether prosecutors will seek a retrial.
