Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder has been indicted on 10 new felony charges, one of which would prevent him from ever holding public office in the state again. The charges were brought in connection with the largest corruption case in state history, involving a $60 million bribery scheme funded by FirstEnergy Corp. The 64-year-old Householder was convicted of racketeering in June and is serving a 20-year sentence at Elkton Federal Correctional Institution. The new charges include misuse of campaign funds, ethics violations, and a theft in office charge.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the indictments, stating that they seek to hold Householder accountable for his actions under state law. The charges could permanently bar him from public service in Ohio. Householder, who served two separate terms as speaker, faces allegations of campaign funds misuse for his criminal defense in his federal case, failure to disclose fiduciary relationships, creditors, and gifts on required ethics filings. The charges include theft in office, money laundering, telecommunications fraud, aggravated theft, and tampering with records.
In addition to Householder, two fired FirstEnergy executives, Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, and Ohio’s former top utility regulator Sam Randazzo were indicted last month on a combined 27 counts. Householder and lobbyist/former Ohio Republican Party chairman Matt Borges were previously indicted on racketeering charges in July 2020. Borges was convicted and sentenced to five years alongside Householder. Lobbyist Juan Cespedes and political strategist Jeffrey Longstreth pleaded guilty in October 2020 while a third individual, lobbyist Neil Clark, pleaded not guilty and later died by suicide.
The charges are part of the state’s investigation into the corruption scandal, led by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission. The allegations involve the use of $60 million in secretly funded FirstEnergy cash to support Householder’s chosen Republican candidates and pass the energy bill known as House Bill 6. Householder orchestrated a dirty-tricks campaign to prevent a referendum to repeal the bill from reaching the ballot. The dark money group Generation Now, used to funnel the funds, pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in February 2021.
The state indictment against Householder alleges misuse of campaign funds, ethics violations, and a theft in office charge, in addition to other felony counts. Householder is accused of using campaign funds to pay for his defense in his federal case and failing to disclose crucial information on ethics filings. The charges, if proven, could result in Householder being permanently barred from working for the government in Ohio. The case is part of a larger corruption scandal involving bribes from FirstEnergy Corp. to support a $1 billion bailout for nuclear plants owned by a subsidiary.
Other individuals involved in the corruption scandal, including fired FirstEnergy executives and Ohio’s former top utility regulator, have also been indicted on multiple counts. Householder’s conviction for racketeering in June was just the beginning of legal actions in the case, with additional indictments continuing to be brought against key players. The wide-ranging investigation into corruption and bribery in Ohio politics has resulted in guilty pleas, suicides, and a dark money group admitting guilt to racketeering charges in connection with the scandal.
