A jury in the trial of former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and ex-top lobbyist Michael Dowling has failed to reach a unanimous verdict on the ninth day of deliberations. The charges stem from bribing former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chair Sam Randazzo, who helped draft House Bill 6 in 2019. If a mistrial is declared, prosecutors will have to decide whether to take the case to trial again or drop the charges. The trial lasted six weeks and included testimony from 600 exhibits and 30 witnesses, including U.S. Sen. Jon Husted. Defense attorneys argued that the $4.3 million Jones approved and Dowling pushed company officials to pay, not a bribe, but a payment for a 2015 settlement agreement.