The former chief of staff of the state agency responsible for regulating Ohio utility companies told jurors Friday about his long night of drinking with a power company’s CEO and its lobbyists.
Their March 2016 dinner at Mitchell’s Steakhouse followed by drinks until close at the Char Bar, a dive known for its Long Island ice teas, was a celebration, according to testimony from Jason Rafeld.
Rafeld, a utility lawyer, worked as chief of staff of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, a top staff role that requires appointment from the governor. Rafeld appeared Friday as the first defense witness for ex-FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and senior vice president of external affairs Mike Dowling. He left the PUCO for the private sector in 2017, before informally vying for a PUCO appointment as a commissioner in 2019…