AKRON, Ohio — A Summit County judge has declared a mistrial in the high-profile bribery case against former FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
The decision was announced Wednesday following multiple days of deliberation in the case tied to Ohio’s House Bill 6 corruption scandal — one of the largest political bribery schemes in state history.
Jones, the former CEO of FirstEnergy Corp., and Dowling, a senior vice president, were accused of participating in a plan to funnel millions of dollars in bribes to public officials to secure passage of the controversial 2019 energy bailout legislation. Both men denied wrongdoing, arguing that their actions were legal lobbying efforts on behalf of the company.
The deadlocked jury prompted Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross to end the proceedings late Wednesday afternoon. The panel had deliberated for several days without reaching consensus.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost confirmed the state’s intention to retry the case. “Justice demands a resolution,” Yost said in a statement. “Our team stands ready to present this evidence again to a new jury.”
The mistrial marks the latest chapter in the ongoing fallout from the House Bill 6 scandal, which has already led to federal convictions of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges. Both were sentenced to prison in 2023 for their roles in the scheme.
A new trial date for Jones and Dowling has not yet been set.
