Former FirstEnergy executive Dennis Chack testified for hours June 13 that he knew little about a $1.3 billion bailout bill, a hard-fought referendum and former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.
“I wasn’t in the loop,” Chack said at a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio hearing.
Chack, who now lives on Marco Island in Florida, said over his 50-plus year career at FirstEnergy he was unaware of any ethics, code of conduct or conflict of interest training – even when he served as senior vice president.
FirstEnergy fired Chack and two other top executives, CEO Chuck Jones and Senior Vice President Mike Dowling, in October 2020 after a federal public corruption investigation became public. Chack, who first started at FirstEnergy in 1969 on a survey crew, testified that he believed his dismissal was justified.
The Akron-based utility determined that Chack deleted documents during an investigation and failed to disclose more than $500,000 paid by FirstEnergy vendor Tony George to Chack’s daughter, internal company records show. FirstEnergy hired an ink expert and determined that Chack back dated a memo of understanding between the utility and one of George’s many companies.
Chack and George are longtime friends and business associates.
The company later dismissed lobbyists and other employees after a pay to play scandal became public in 2020.
Chack’s testimony marked the first time he’s answered questions in a public forum since his dismissal.
More than a dozen witnesses over three weeks are scheduled to testify in the PUCO’s investigation into FirstEnergy’s political and charitable spending and House Bill 6. The 2019 legislation would’ve provided a $1.3 billion bailout for FirstEnergy’s aging nuclear power plants, requiring 4.5 million Ohio customers to pay more on their monthly electric bills.
In March, Chack and others invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions from the agency.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Brown signed an order April 21 to compel former lobbyists Joel Bailey, Justin Biltz and Ty Pine and Chack to answer questions before PUCO. The men were subpoenaed by the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel to answer questions about several.
Who is Dennis Chack?
Chack, an Akron native, worked decades for FirstEnergy and climbed the ranks to senior vice president. He reported directly to Jones, the chief executive.
Chack started at the company in 1969, when it was called Ohio Edison. Over the decades, he held more than half a dozen key position.
He was also involved in community leadership posts, serving on the boards of The Cleveland Clinic, Marymount Hospital Inc., American Red Cross of Greater Cleveland, Akron General Health System and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Chack has a bachelor’s degree in sales and marketing from the University of Akron.
Chack has not been charged in any of the criminal cases.
What is Ohio House Bill 6 scandal?
FirstEnergy surged more than $60 million into dark money groups to help Householder make his political comeback, pass the bailout bill, defeat a referendum campaign that sought to block the law and help Householder extend his time as Ohio House speaker.
FirstEnergy admitted that it bribed Householder and attorney Sam Randazzo, whom Gov. Mike DeWine appointed to lead the PUCO.
A year after DeWine signed House Bill 6 into law, a federal investigation went public with the July 2020 arrests of Householder, former Ohio GOP chairman Matt Borges, lobbyist Neil Clark, political consultant Jeff Longstreth and lobbyist Juan Cespedes.
Later that year, FirstEnergy disclosed a $4.3 million payment to Randazzo just before his appointment to the PUCO.
Where are Householder and the others now?
Randazzo was indicted on federal charges in December 2023, indicted on state charges in February 2024 and died by suicide in April 2024.
Householder was convicted in federal court in March 2023 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Borges is serving a five-year sentence. Both men lost their appeals before the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in May 2025.
Clark, who pleaded not guilty, died by suicide in March 2021.
Longstreth and Cespedes took plea deals, testified against Householder and Borges and are awaiting sentencing.
Jones and Dowling were charged in state court in February 2024 and federal court in January 2025. They have pleaded not guilty in both cases and are awaiting trial.
State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@gannett.com and @lbischoff on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: FirstEnergy fired VP for failing to report $500K deal for his daughter, records show
Reporting by Laura A. Bischoff, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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