Ohio can freeze ex-PUCO leader Sam Randazzo's assets, state Supreme Court rules

Ex-Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo's assets will once again be frozen, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision Tuesday.

Randazzo is accused of receiving a $4.3 million bribe from Akron-based FirstEnergy to help the company in his role as PUCO chairman. Randazzo, who was recently indicted, has said he did nothing wrong.

Long before his criminal charges, Randazzo was mentioned as part of a larger scandal involving Akron-based FirstEnergy and Ohio politicos. Five men, including former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, were arrested in July 2020.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sued Randazzo in September 2020. FBI searched Randazzo's German Village home in November 2020, and he resigned from the PUCO shortly after. In July 2021, FirstEnergy admitted it bribed Randazzo and Householder, who was later convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

In the civil case, Yost asked a Franklin County judge to block Randazzo from selling off property or other assets. At the time, Randazzo faced no criminal charges but had transferred a $400,000 property to his son, sold two Florida properties worth about $4 million and sold an Ohio property for $800,000.

A Franklin County judge granted Yost's request and froze Randazzo's assets. Randazzo's attorney later disputed that decision, saying he didn't have an opportunity to argue his side of the case. The Tenth District Court of Appeals agreed.

On Tuesday, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that Randazzo's assets could be frozen. Randazzo had received a full hearing with both parties present to make his case, and the appeals court should not have reversed the initial judge's decision, Justice Pat DeWine wrote for the court.

Justice Pat Fischer expressed some concern that the state didn't follow the proper protocol for notifying banks and brokerage accounts of the judge's order. Justice Joe Deters had recused himself from the case.

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FirstEnergy scandal: Ohio can freeze ex-PUCO leader Randazzo's assets