COLUMBUS, Ohio – Revelations that Sam Randazzo was hired to run the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio without first disclosing the millions he’d recently been paid by FirstEnergy, one of the companies he was supposed to regulate, raise questions about the vetting process for PUCO nominees.
And especially now that FirstEnergy has said the payment was a bribe given in exchange for favorable state treatment, some advocates have renewed calls to reform the PUCO appointment process, including proposing electing commission members or taking other steps to limit utility influence on the commission.