AKRON, Ohio — A judge is mulling two key questions ahead of the high-profile trial of two FirstEnergy executives accused of bribing a state regulator to help pass legislation worth $1 billion and guarantees that the company would make millions more than they should have.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross heard arguments on Friday on whether prosecutors can tell a jury that the House Bill 6 bribery scandal that erupted in 2019 led to higher bills for customers and if defense attorneys could raise questions about a BCI agent’s disciplinary case.
The arguments came shortly before the trial of former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and the company’s former top lobbyist, Michael Dowling, who face charges including conspiracy, racketeering and bribery…