Judge orders $8M asset freeze for ex-Ohio utility regulator

By MARK GILLISPIE
Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — A judge in Columbus has frozen $8 million in assets of a former Ohio utility regulator and current target of an FBI investigation to preserve the assets for future collection. The freeze issued Thursday came at the request of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who says it would be harder to hold Sam Randazzo “financially accountable for accepting bribes” without it. Randazzo resigned as chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in November after FBI agents searched his Columbus townhome and Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. revealed it had paid him $4.3 million in early 2019 for his future help as Ohio’s top utility regulator.