Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were arrested Tuesday in a $60 million federal bribery probe. Now, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is calling for Householder to resign following the the federal case against him.
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Also arrested were Householder adviser Jeffrey Longstreth, longtime Statehouse lobbyist Neil Clark, former Ohio Republican Party chairman and consultant Matthew Borges and Juan Cespedes, co-founder of The Oxley Group in Columbus, were all charged with racketeering, according to The Plain Dealer. The group is accused of taking $60 million in bribes to assist power company First Energy in securing a $1.3 billion bailout for aging nuclear power plants
DeWine referred to Tuesday as a “sad day for Ohio” and proclaimed that the longtime Republican politician showed resign from his post immediately.
“I am deeply concerned about the allegations of wrongdoing in the issued today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” DeWine said in a statement. “Every American has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Because of the nature of these charges, it will be impossible for Speaker Householder to effectively lead the Ohio House of Representatives; therefore, I am calling on Speaker Householder to resign immediately.”
FBI agents were at the farm of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder on Tuesday morning, hours ahead of the government’s planned announcement.
FBI agents were carrying out “law enforcement activity” on Householder's property in Glenford in southeastern Ohio, FBI spokesman Todd Lindgren said, without providing details. The Perry County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed it was assisting the FBI at Householder’s farm.
Lindgren noted the upcoming news conference by DeVillers, whose office planned to announce “charges related to $60 million bribe to state official & associates."
Messages were left with Householder at home and at the House communications office. The Republican is in his second stint as House speaker following his tenure in the same position from 2001 to 2004.
Householder, a veteran lawmaker, returned to state politics in 2016 after leaving more than a decade ago because of term limits.
At the time he left office, he and several top advisers were under federal investigation for alleged money laundering and irregular campaign practices. The government closed the case without filing charges.
After returning to the Ohio House fours years ago, Householder won a contentious fight to become House speaker in 2019.
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