Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a Republican, who was previously incarcerated for orchestrating a corruption scheme, has recently been hit with additional charges.
On Monday, a county grand jury delivered 10 new felony charges against Householder. These charges revolve around ethics violations, misappropriation of campaign funds, and theft during his tenure, potentially disqualifying him from any future elected position within Ohio.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost expressed his intent to ensure Householder’s actions are met with appropriate state-level consequences, aiming to definitively end his career in public service. “This case is about bringing Mr. Householder to justice for his actions according to state law. We’re determined to see that he faces the full extent of the law, effectively ending the ‘Comeback Kid’s’ career in public office,” Yost stated.
The 64-year-old Householder is accused of a range of offenses including theft in office, telecommunications fraud, aggravated theft across two counts, five counts of tampering with records, and one count of money laundering.
Steven Bradley, Householder’s attorney, mentioned that he hadn’t had the chance to discuss these latest developments with Householder but plans to do so promptly to strategize their next steps. This information was reported by the Associated Press.
In June of the previous year, Householder received a 20-year prison sentence for leading a corruption scheme valued at $61 million. This scheme was designed to benefit utility company FirstEnergy, ensuring the passage of legislation favorable to the Akron-based company, including a taxpayer-funded bailout of $1.3 billion for two nuclear plants in Ohio.
As a result of its involvement in the bribery case, FirstEnergy was fined $230 million. The scandal led to the dismissal of several of its executives. Additionally, former Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges was convicted on racketeering charges.
Householder had the opportunity to serve as speaker in two non-consecutive terms, marking a significant, though controversial, political career.