AKRON, Ohio — A bitter court battle went on for more than three hours Thursday over a single piece of evidence in the trial of two former FirstEnergy officials accused of bribing a state regulator.
The confrontational exchange came one day after testimony began in the high-profile trial of former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and the company’s onetime top lobbyist Michael Dowling, who are accused of paying a $4.3 million bribe to Sam Randazzo, former chairman of the Public Utilities of Ohio.
The hearing, without the jury present, highlighted just how intensely prosecutors and defense attorneys are fighting over what evidence is presented to the jury…