Utility regulator targeted by FBI saw a whirlwind rise
By JULIE CARR SMYTH and MARK GILLISPIE November 21, 2020 GMT
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Sam Randazzo told Ohio state senators last year that he had been poised to retire at the end of 2018 when he was recruited to help the incoming administration of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine review looming big-picture energy and utility issues.
Within three weeks of DeWine taking office, Randazzo was named the state’s top utility regulator.
“Very humbling stuff!” Randazzo gushed during his April 2019 confirmation hearing.
How Randazzo went from retiring utility lawyer to chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio over such a short period is a matter of new attention.