Cleveland, OH

Sam Randazzo, former top utility regulator accused of taking $4.3 million bribe, found dead

Published

8 months ago

April 10, 2024

Sam Randazzo, former top utility regulator accused of taking .3 million bribe, found dead

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former top state utility regulator accused of taking a $4.3 million bribe was found dead Tuesday.

Sam Randazzo was pronounced dead just before noon by the Columbus Division of Fire, according to a spokesman for the Franklin County Coroner’s office. He was found by police unresponsive, hanging by a rope in the rafters of a Columbus property. The coroner’s spokesman said it is a suspected death by suicide but will be confirmed in an autopsy.

Randazzo, 74, is the former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and has been indicted in both federal and state court for taking bribes from Akron-based FirstEnergy.

Randazzo’s death follows an epic fall from grace. In 2018, he was on his way to retirement after a storied career as a utility lawyer, representing industrial energy users seeking cheaper electricity prices. But following the election of Gov. Mike DeWine, Randazzo applied, and was later appointed to serve as the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

According to both state and federal prosecutors, it was around that time that he accepted a $4.3 million bribe. He has acknowledged receiving the payment but pleaded not guilty to felony charges, insisting the money was an obligatory term of a contractual arrangement. FirstEnergy admitted to paying the bribe in a deferred prosecution agreement in exchange for favorable treatment at the PUCO. Randazzo faced up to 20 years in prison.

While neither judge nor jury has made any finding on those allegations, Randazzo recently lost several important legal battles. The Ohio Supreme Court allowed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to freeze millions in his assets before trial. A federal judge denied his attempt to move the trial from Cincinnati to his hometown in Columbus.

Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to Roger Sugarman, his attorney.

Along with Randazzo, FirstEnergy has also admitted to bribing ex-House Speaker Larry Householder with millions of dollars in exchange for the passage of House Bill 6, legislation that charged ratepayers to bail out nuclear plants owned at the time by FirstEnergy. Householder has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Co-conspirator Matt Borges, a lobbyist, is serving a five year sentence as well. Two other men pleaded guilty to racketeering and testified as government witnesses. A fifth, Neil Clark, died by suicide in early 2021.

DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney declined to comment Tuesday evening.

Jennifer Young, a spokeswoman for FirstEnergy, said the company is “saddened to hear of this tragic news.”

Jake Zuckerman covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

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Cleveland, OH

Thursday Night Football Open Thread: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Thursday Night Football Open Thread: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

Hello, good evening and welcome to week 12 of the NFL season.

Tonight, TNF travels to the rust belt for an AFC North matchup. The Pittsburgh Steelers travel west to the exotic realm of…Ohio to take on the Cleveland Browns

Here are the deets, as the cool kids say, about tonight’s game:

Who: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) at Cleveland Browns (2-8)

What: Thursday Night Football

Where: Huntington Bank Stadium, Cleveland, OH

When: Thursday November 21, 7:20 pm CDT

Why: Because you can watch Cleveland sit in their wrongness for embracing their longtime quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has played only for the Cleveland Browns

Channel: ABC, NBC (local markets only)

Streaming: Amazon Prime, NFL+ (subscriptions required)

And if you feel like making this game a little extra interesting, here are my picks for tonight’s game, from FanDuel.

Let’s Go Texans!

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Cleveland, OH

Steelers fall to Browns, 24-19

Published

12 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Cleveland (3-8) overcame a couple of late turnovers by quarterback Jameis Winston to come away with their second upset win in recent weeks over an AFC North rival. The Browns defeated the Ravens here, 29-24, on Oct. 27.

“I’d like to compliment the Cleveland Browns,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “They brought it tonight. It was a hard-fought game. They made more plays over the course of a 60-minute game. We’ve got to own our portions of it. Particularly early on, it took us too long to warm up to the action. We were penalized some with pre-snap penalties. We weren’t really sharp. We got going. Our guys fought. But it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.”

Winston completed 18 of 27 passes for 219 yards with an interception, while Chubb scored a pair of touchdowns while running for 59 yards on 20 carries.

Russell Wilson was 21 of 28 for 270 yards and a touchdown for the Steelers, who dropped to 1-5-1 in their past six trips to Cleveland and 0-4 on Thursday nights against the Browns on the road.

The Steelers had two promising drives to start the game but came away empty both times despite driving into Cleveland territory.

Wilson was sacked on third-and-3 at the Cleveland 32 by Garrett for an 8-yard loss. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin chose to have Chris Boswell attempt a 58-yard field goal, but Boswell’s attempt went wide right to keep the game scoreless.

The Steelers forced a three-and-out and a Cleveland punt and again drove into Browns territory, this time getting to the 38 where they faced fourth-and-2. But Justin Fields, who entered in place of Wilson in the short-yardage situation, was stopped for a two-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs.

The Steelers finally did score on their third possession, as Wilson connected with Calvin Austin III on a 46-yard pass to set up a 48-yard field goal by Boswell and a 3-0 lead.

The Browns, who hadn’t had a first down to that point, answered with a touchdown drive, including converting on fourth-and-1 at the Pittsburgh 16.

“They made some of those fourth-and-shorts and we didn’t,” said Steelers defensive lineman Isaiaah Loudermilk. “We pride ourselves in stopping those kind of plays, and we just didn’t do it.”

Chubb then scored on a 2-yard run to give Cleveland a 7-3 lead with 4:00 remaining in the half.

Looking to get a score before the end of the half, Wilson attempted to step up in the pocket on second down at his own 32, but Garrett got a hand on the ball and knocked it loose. Winston Reid recovered the loose ball at the Pittsburgh 31.

That set up a 34-yard Dustin Hopkins field goal that pushed Cleveland’s lead to 10-3.

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Cleveland, OH

Winter Weather Alert: Cleveland, OH Braces for Up to 5 Inches of Lake Effect Snow Tonight

Published

23 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Winter Weather Alert: Cleveland, OH Braces for Up to 5 Inches of Lake Effect Snow Tonight

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Cleveland, OH – A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties until midnight. Residents should prepare for heavy lake effect snow and hazardous travel conditions.

The National Weather Service warns of total snow accumulations between 3 and 5 inches. The snow is expected to intensify this evening, creating dangerous conditions for the Thursday evening commute. Visibility could drop significantly, making travel difficult across the region.

Local authorities urge drivers to slow down and exercise caution on slick roads. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, travelers should delay unnecessary trips and monitor traffic updates at www.ohgo.com.

Residents are also advised to watch for icy patches on sidewalks, stairs, and driveways, which could lead to injuries. Heavy snow rates are expected to decrease after midnight, but roads could remain treacherous into Friday morning.

Stay updated on weather and traffic conditions, and take extra precautions to ensure safety during this winter weather event.

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