Jones' firing came in the wake of guilty pleas by two people accused in a widespread corruption case against former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder tied to a $1.3 billion bailout of two nuclear plants owned by a former FirstEnergy subsidiary. Last month, First Energy officials in an annual investor call confirmed that they received a letter from Icahn Capital which said the company has a "present good faith intention" to buy $184 million to $920 million in voting shares. In January, Icahn sold over half his stake in Herbalife Nutrition ( HLF ) and relinquished his seats on the nutritional-supplements company's board, taking a step back from a longtime investment he fiercely defended due to an onslaught from rival activist investor William Ackman, The Wall Street Journal reported. (Updated to clarify that the nuclear plants are owned by a former FirstEnergy subsidiary.)